Highest Unemployment in Canada

Top 100 cities ranked by highest unemployment

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All Countries · Canada

Highest Unemployment — Canada

1 Niagara Falls ON 22.6%

2 Marystown NL 20.2%

3 Cape Breton NS 19.5%

4 Windsor ON 18.8%

5 Wolfville NS 18.7%

6 Norway House MB 18.5%

7 Whistler BC 17.5%

8 Stephenville NL 17.0%

9 Annapolis, Subd. A NS 16.6%

10 Elliot Lake ON 16.5%

11 Grand Falls-Windsor NL 16.3%

12 Truro NS 15.9%

13 St. Catharines ON 15.8%

14 Algoma, Unorganized, North Part ON 15.5%

15 Thorold ON 15.3%

16 Fort Erie ON 15.3%

17 Parry Sound ON 15.3%

18 Oshawa ON 15.2%

19 Orillia ON 15.1%

20 Cumberland, Subd. B NS 15.1%

21 Welland ON 15.0%

22 Niagara-on-the-Lake ON 15.0%

23 Rocky Mountain House AB 14.9%

24 Banff AB 14.9%

25 Peterborough ON 14.7%

26 Sylvan Lake AB 14.7%

27 Tracadie NB 14.6%

28 Brockville ON 14.5%

29 Queens NS 14.3%

30 Gander NL 14.3%

31 Bay Roberts NL 14.2%

32 Ingersoll ON 14.2%

33 Whitecourt AB 14.2%

34 Ramara ON 14.1%

35 Mississauga ON 14.0%

36 Wasaga Beach ON 13.9%

37 Toronto ON 13.9%

38 Markham ON 13.8%

39 Sainte-Anne-des-Monts QC 13.8%

40 Corner Brook NL 13.7%

41 Havelock-Belmont-Methuen ON 13.6%

42 Ajax ON 13.4%

43 Tecumseh ON 13.4%

44 London ON 13.3%

45 Brampton ON 13.3%

46 LaSalle ON 13.3%

47 Kingston ON 13.2%

48 Lakeshore Village ON 13.2%

49 Central Kootenay H BC 13.1%

50 Richmond Hill ON 13.1%

51 Sault Ste. Marie ON 13.0%

52 Clarenville NL 13.0%

53 Campbellton NB 12.9%

54 Pickering ON 12.9%

55 Mont-Tremblant QC 12.9%

56 Chester NS 12.9%

57 Perth ON 12.9%

58 Midland ON 12.8%

59 Blackfalds AB 12.8%

60 Collingwood ON 12.8%

61 Edmonton AB 12.7%

62 Port Colborne ON 12.7%

63 Camrose AB 12.7%

64 Clearwater County AB 12.6%

65 Clare NS 12.6%

66 Vaughan ON 12.5%

67 Calgary AB 12.5%

68 Barrie ON 12.5%

69 Cumberland, Subd. C NS 12.5%

70 Essex ON 12.5%

71 Lloydminster SK 12.5%

72 Three Rivers PE 12.4%

73 Brantford ON 12.4%

74 Metro Vancouver A BC 12.4%

75 Cobourg ON 12.4%

76 Pembroke ON 12.4%

77 Cornwall ON 12.4%

78 Redcliff AB 12.3%

79 Lacombe AB 12.3%

80 Hamilton ON 12.3%

81 Bridgewater NS 12.3%

82 Newmarket ON 12.3%

83 Whitby ON 12.3%

84 Kings, Subd. D NS 12.3%

85 Red Deer AB 12.3%

86 Argyle NS 12.3%

87 Beaubassin East NB 12.1%

88 Bathurst NB 12.1%

89 Woodstock ON 12.1%

90 Hinton AB 12.0%

91 Amherstburg ON 12.0%

92 Waterloo ON 12.0%

93 Wetaskiwin AB 12.0%

94 North Bay ON 12.0%

95 Huntsville ON 12.0%

96 Gananoque ON 12.0%

97 Medicine Hat AB 12.0%

98 Sackville NB 11.9%

99 Belleville ON 11.9%

100 Barrington NS 11.9%

Cities with the highest unemployment rates in Canada face significant economic challenges. Niagara Falls has an unemployment rate of 22.6%. These communities often struggle with limited job opportunities, industry decline, or seasonal employment patterns.

High unemployment can have cascading effects on a community, including reduced consumer spending, lower tax revenues, and increased demand for social services. Understanding the causes — whether structural, cyclical, or seasonal — is important for developing effective solutions.

Many cities with high unemployment are actively working to diversify their economies, attract new industries, and invest in workforce development programs to help residents gain skills for in-demand occupations.

Did You Know?

1. In Niagara Falls, about 1 in 4 workers is looking for a job.
2. Seasonal economies (tourism, agriculture) can cause unemployment rates to fluctuate dramatically throughout the year.
3. Many high-unemployment cities have seen improvement through targeted economic development and workforce training programs.

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