Employment in Newfoundland and Labrador was 239,500 persons in April 2026, a decrease of 4,700 persons, or 1.9%, compared with April 2025. Actual hours worked increased 3.3% in April 2026 in comparison to April 2025. The level of unemployment remained the same in April 2026 compared with April 2025.
The labour force in Newfoundland and Labrador was 268,900 in April 2026. This was a decrease of 4,800 persons, or 1.8%, compared with April 2025, and was due to a decrease in participation rate. The participation rate decreased by 1.4 percentage points to 56.7%, while the source population increased by 3,200 persons, or 0.7%.
There was a decrease in full-time employment (-3,700 persons or -1.8%) in April 2026 compared with April 2025, and a decrease in part-time employment (-1,000 persons or -2.5%). On a gender basis, employment decreased by 1,800 persons for the ‘Men+’ category (-1.5%) and decreased by 3,000 persons for the ‘Women+’ category (-2.5%).
On an industry basis, employment in the services-producing sector remained the same in April 2026 compared with April 2025, while employment in the goods-producing sector decreased by 4,800 persons (-10.1%). Within the services-producing sector, the largest employment gains were recorded in ‘Accommodation and food services’ (+3,400 persons), ‘Health care and social assistance’ (+3,100 persons), and ‘Information, culture and recreation’ (+1,200 persons). The largest employment declines were recorded in ‘Educational services’ (-4,300 persons) and ‘Public administration’ (-1,600 persons). Within the goods-producing sector, the largest employment declines were recorded in ‘Manufacturing’ (-3,200 persons) and ‘Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas’ (-1,500 persons). The largest employment gain was recorded in ‘Construction’ (+400 persons).
Employment increased in seven provinces in April 2026 compared with April 2025, with gains ranging from 0.3% in Saskatchewan to 3.5% in Alberta. Employment declined in Newfoundland and Labrador (-1.9%), Quebec (-1.6%), and British Columbia (-1.6%).
On a year-to-date basis, employment in the province averaged 237,200 in the January to April 2026 period, an increase of 0.8% compared with the same period in 2025. There was an increase in year-to-date employment across seven provinces over the same period, ranging from 0.8% in Newfoundland and Labrador to 3.6% in Alberta. Year-to-date employment increased by 0.3% for Canada. The unemployment rate in Newfoundland and Labrador averaged 10.9% on a year-to-date basis, a decrease of 0.9 percentage points compared with the January to April 2025 period.
| Labour Force Characteristics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | ||||||
|
Indicator
|
Apr 2025
|
Apr 2026
|
Change
|
Jan-Apr 2025
|
Jan-Apr 2026
|
Change
|
| Labour Force (000s) | 273.7 | 268.9 | -1.8% | 267.0 | 266.4 | -0.2% |
| Employment (000s) | 244.2 | 239.5 | -1.9% | 235.5 | 237.2 | 0.8% |
| Unemployment (000s) | 29.4 | 29.4 | 0.0% | 31.6 | 29.1 | -7.7% |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 10.7 | 10.9 | 0.2 ppts | 11.8 | 10.9 | -0.9 ppts |
| Participation Rate (%) | 58.1 | 56.7 | -1.4 ppts | 56.8 | 56.3 | -0.5 ppts |
| Employment Rate (%) | 51.9 | 50.5 | -1.4 ppts | 50.1 | 50.1 | 0.0 ppts |
| ppts: percentage point change Percent and actual changes based on unrounded monthly averages Source: Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey; Economics Division, Department of Finance |
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Glossary terms:
Labour Force | Employed | Unemployed | Unemployment Rate | Participation Rate | Employment Rate
Statistical Reference: Statistics used in this analysis were current at the time of writing. For the latest in employment statistics visit the Newfoundland & Labrador Statistics Agency site and the release dates on the Statistics Canada site.