Highlights – April 2025
Data visualization
Evolution of the key employment indicators over one year
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0459-01, and Québec International.
Overview of employment in major Canadian regions
Analysis
Employment growth resumes in the Québec City CMA
According to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS), the labour market rebounded in April 2025, reversing the trend observed in the two previous months. This new growth, although modest, translates to an increase of 4,800 jobs (+1.0%). Similar to March, the unemployment rate fell to 4.2% (-0.3 percentage points [pp]), its lowest point since August 2024. Meanwhile, the labour force increased by 0.8%, which means that more people joined the labour market and found a job. The employment rate grew by 0.6%, reaching 62.8%.
Stronger tensions in the provincial and Canadian labour markets
In the province of Quebec and Canada, tensions appeared in a context where trade conflicts are impacting the economic situation. The volume of employment increased by 0.1% (+3,300) in the province of Quebec but remained stable in Canada. However, the unemployment rate grew, reaching 6.7% (+0.1 pp) in Canada and 5.7% (+0.2 pp) in the province, surpassing the Québec City CMA by 2.5 pp and 1.5 pp, respectively. The region maintains its enviable position with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (third rank). Analysis reveals that the impacts of trade tensions are being felt from coast to coast, especially in the manufacturing sector, where employment registered the strongest—although modest—decline (-0.5%, non-seasonally adjusted data) last month.
Employment outlook for this year
For 2025, analysts anticipate that the labour market will be marked by opposing forces. In fact, Québec International’s labour market report (Bilan Marché du travail) projects a weak recovery in the Québec City CMA this year, while the Conference Board of Canada predicts almost complete stagnation (+0.2%).
LFS data for the first four months of the year are consistent with this anticipated stability, showing stagnation in employment from January to April 2025 (+100, +0.0%). Moreover, the average level of employment for the first third of the year (469,500) is below that of 2024 (475,000). This modest performance is explained, in part, by the weaker population dynamics and the current trade situation. However, monetary policy easing should start to positively impact the labour market for the current year.
Rosalie Forgues
Economist
Québec International
