Ottawa, ON – Garnett Genuis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Employment, released the following statement on April’s Labour Force Survey numbers:
“Today’s job numbers confirm the sad reality that 112,000 Canadians have lost their jobs in the first four months of 2026, pushing our unemployment rate to 6.9 per cent – the highest level in six months. Canada’s unemployment rate is now 1.4 percentage points higher than the US, after Canada lost 17,700 jobs in April.
“April also recorded another decline in those employed full-time, with 47,000 fewer Canadians being employed in full-time work. Over the first four months of 2026, this has contributed to 111,000 fewer people being employed full-time. For young people looking for work, the unemployment rate for those 15 to 24 jumped to 14.3 per cent. Meanwhile, youth unemployment for students hit a whopping 16 per cent.
“Quebec has been the worst hit with unemployment rising to 6.2 per cent in April, the second significant monthly decline in the past three months. Since the start of the year, the province has seen a decline of 91,000 jobs, while the number of people employed in Montreal has dropped by 56,000, a 2.3 per cent decline.
“Under the Liberals, unemployment for youth remains higher than the pre-pandemic average of just 10.8 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of Canadians trapped in long-term unemployment remained at 22.5 per cent – 31.6 per cent higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite Canadian employment continuing to drop, the Liberals still have no plan, and it’s clear their policies aren’t working. Instead, Carney has delivered more cost, more debt, more job losses and more of the same. He’s just another Liberal.
“Conservatives are playing a constructive role by putting real solutions on the table. We released a detailed jobs plan in the fall, and just yesterday announced parental leave reforms to support families. It’s time for the Liberals to reverse course and embrace these good ideas.”