Canada's unemployment rate hits 6.9% as tariffs hit manufacturing sector

Canada's unemployment rate has hit 6.9% as tariffs hit manufacturing sector. That's the highest unemployment rate in 8 years excluding COVID.

April is the third consecutive month that the Canadian economy has seen either little change in employment or job losses. It's also the first month that the impact of tariffs on auto, steel, aluminum and other sectors has been more pronounced.

According to Statistics Canada, the manufacturing sector lost 31,000 jobs last month, the biggest decline since January 2009, excluding the 2020 COVID crisis.

According to the Statistics Department, the economy added 7,400 jobs during April, most of which were temporary workers hired by the public sector to work in the federal election.