London had the second-highest unemployment rate of Canada’s largest census metropolitan areas in February, as the city lost over 3,100 jobs. During 2026, the London area’s February unemployment rate reached 8.8 per cent, the highest rate recorded in the month of February since 2013, including the period during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate increased by 0.6 per cent from January, when unemployment stood at 8.2 per cent. Simultaneously, fewer Londoners looked for jobs, as the labour force participation rate declined slightly from 66.0 per cent in January to 65.8 per cent in February. London’s unemployment rate sits above the provincial and national rates. Ontario’s unemployment has slightly risen from 7.5 to 7.6 per cent between January and in February. The province’s participation rate also declined slightly, dropping from 64.9 per cent to 64.8 per cent over the same period. Canada’s overall labour market trends mirrored those seen in Ontario. The unemployment rate rose 0.1 per cent — from 6.6 per cent in January to 6.7 per cent in February — while Canada’s participation rate declined from 65.2 to 65.1 per cent. Andrew McMurray, the manager of community partnerships & employer engagement at London Regional Employment Services, stressed the unpredictability of current unemployment rates. “It’s hard to say with the current economic climate, the tariff impacts, how long that would rise,” said McMurray. “There’s a little bit of uncertainty in the region and across the country as a whole, around how high potentially unemployment rates could get.” Audra Bowlus, a Western University economics professor, highlighted that although there is a “tremendous amount of uncertainty” due to geopolitical conflicts, misunderstandings regarding the unemployment and participation rate also often arise from people not taking multiple factors into consideration. She explained seasonal changes, discouraged workers and job finding rates can impact unemployment. Ontario’s student unemployment rate has significantly risen from 15.4 to 19.1 per cent between January and February, while the student participation rate has shown an increase from 37.5 to 39.2 per cent. McMurray explained the effectiveness of upskilling, or learning new and enhanced skills, in the job market as a student. “Anything that involves higher skill work is traditionally always in demand,” McMurray said. “Upskilling, micro-credentials, anything that you can do above and beyond what you would normally get in your post-secondary education, it’s when you add up your chances.” Bowlus said students who graduate with a narrow vision of their future jobs may struggle to find work, particularly if they are not in a booming field or location. She advises students to “keep your options open.” McMurray emphasizes that there are opportunities and many resources that offer support in London. He added that service providers under the LRES Network have helped support 4,500 individuals find employment in the London, Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford region in the last 12 months.
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