Payroll employment in retail trade decreased by 4,400 (-0.2%) in August, following little net change from May to July and a cumulative increase of 24,000 (+1.2%) recorded from February to May, according to a report released Thursday by Statistics Canada.
“In August, the payroll employment decrease in the retail trade sector was driven by food and beverage retailers (-2,600; -0.5%) and clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage and leather goods retailers (-1,700; -0.8%),” said the federal agency.
“In August, payroll employment in accommodation and food services declined by 6,800 (-0.5%). Before the monthly decline, payroll employment in the sector had increased in three of the previous four months, resulting in a net gain of 10,800 (+0.8%) over that period.”
The monthly decline in August was concentrated in full-service restaurants and limited service eating places (-4,600; -0.5%), added the report.
Payroll employment decreases nationally
Statistics Canada said the number of employees overall in Canada receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as “payroll employment” in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—decreased by 49,600 (-0.3%) in August, after edging down by 15,700 (-0.1%) in July. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up by 57,200 (+0.3%) in August.
The number of job vacancies was little changed in August at 507,200, marking the eighth consecutive month of little variation. On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies were up by 25,800 (+5.4%), it said.
In August, payroll employment declined in 10 out of 20 sectors, led by public administration (-22,300; -1.6%), accommodation and food services (-6,800; -0.5%), information and cultural industries (-5,000; -1.4%), construction (-4,500; -0.4%), as well as retail trade (-4,400; -0.2%), added Statistics Canada.
Job vacancies hold steady
“The number of job vacancies was little changed in August at 507,200, marking the eighth consecutive month of little variation. On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies were up by 25,800 (+5.4%).
The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—was 2.8% in August, unchanged since December 2025. Year over year, the job vacancy rate increased by 0.1 percentage points in August 2026,” said the report.
“There were 2.9 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in August, unchanged from July, but down from August 2025 (when it was 3.3). The year-over-year decrease in August 2026 was due to both a decrease in unemployment (-130,600; -8.2%) (according to the Labour Force Survey) as well as an increase in job vacancies (+25,500; +5.3%, excluding the territories).
In August, job vacancies increased in finance and insurance (+2,900; +16.3%), partially offsetting the cumulative decrease recorded from May to July (-3,900; -18.3%). Meanwhile, job vacancies decreased in arts, entertainment and recreation (-2,000; -21.5%), offsetting the increase recorded from April to July (+1,800; +23.7%). Job vacancies were also down in information and cultural industries in August (-1,600; -20.3%), reported Statistics Canada.
“On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies in August were up in six sectors, with the largest increases recorded in accommodation and food services (+10,700; +20.0%), transportation and warehousing (+6,900; +29.9%) and manufacturing (+6,100; +18.1%). Job vacancies in accommodation and food services and transportation and warehousing have been on an upward trend following a recent low in August 2025,” it said.
“Meanwhile, health care and social assistance was the only sector to record a year-over-year decline in job vacancies in August 2026 (-8,300; -8.2%). Job vacancies in this sector have been on a downward trend since January 2024.
“In August 2026, accommodation and food services had the highest job vacancy rate of all sectors at 4.7%, maintaining its position as the sector with the highest vacancy rate since November 2025. At the same time, educational services and utilities both recorded the lowest job vacancy rates in August 2026, at 1.1%.”
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