Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Canada
Canada: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 7.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Canada, 1970–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Canada recorded 7.1% for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.9% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Canada peaked at 12.3% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2022.
That places Canada 51st out of 181 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.5% | — |
| 1971 | 7.0% | +7.7% |
| 1972 | 6.8% | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 5.8% | -14.7% |
| 1974 | 5.6% | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 6.4% | +14.6% |
| 1977 | 7.4% | +14.7% |
| 1978 | 7.6% | +3.8% |
| 1979 | 6.8% | -11.4% |
| 1980 | 7.0% | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 7.2% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 11.2% | +57.0% |
| 1983 | 12.3% | +9.7% |
| 1984 | 11.4% | -7.9% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | -8.1% |
| 1986 | 9.5% | -9.4% |
| 1987 | 8.5% | -9.9% |
| 1988 | 7.4% | -12.9% |
| 1989 | 7.4% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 8.2% | +10.7% |
| 1991 | 10.8% | +32.6% |
| 1992 | 12.0% | +11.0% |
| 1993 | 11.9% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 10.9% | -8.9% |
| 1995 | 9.8% | -10.0% |
| 1996 | 9.9% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 9.3% | -6.5% |
| 1998 | 8.5% | -7.9% |
| 1999 | 7.8% | -8.2% |
| 2000 | 6.9% | -11.3% |
| 2001 | 7.5% | +8.4% |
| 2002 | 8.1% | +8.0% |
| 2003 | 7.9% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 7.5% | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 7.0% | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 6.7% | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 6.5% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | +42.7% |
| 2010 | 8.9% | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 8.1% | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 7.6% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 7.5% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | -10.9% |
| 2018 | 6.1% | -11.0% |
| 2019 | 6.1% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 9.8% | +61.0% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -21.4% |
| 2022 | 5.4% | -29.7% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 6.7% | +20.6% |
| 2025 | 7.1% | +6.9% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 7.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 1.5× the median. (75 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +61.0% | 6.1% | 9.8% |
| 1982 | +57.0% | 7.2% | 11.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.7% | 5.6% | 7.6% | 9 |
| 1980s | 9.2% | 7.0% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.9% | 7.8% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.5% | 6.5% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 6.1% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.0% | 5.4% | 9.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Canada?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Canada was 7.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 12.3% in 1983.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2022.
- How does Canada rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Canada ranks 51st out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.