Newfoundland and Labrador has highest unemployment-to-job-vacancy ratio in Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest unemployment-to-job-vacancy ratio among Canadian provinces in July, despite recording a significant decline in the ratio compared with a year earlier.

The ratio stood at 5.8 unemployed people for every job vacancy in Newfoundland and Labrador in July 2026, according to Statistics Canada.

That was down 1.8 points year over year, indicating fewer unemployed people for each available position compared with July 2025.

The province had the highest ratio among the provinces in July, while Manitoba had the lowest at 1.9.

The unemployment-to-job-vacancy ratio also declined year over year in Alberta, falling to 2.8, and Ontario, where it fell to 3.5.

Statistics Canada’s data also show that job vacancies increased in Alberta and Manitoba in July, while vacancies declined in Ontario and Quebec.

For Newfoundland and Labrador, the data point to a labour market where the number of unemployed people remains relatively high compared with the number of available job vacancies, despite improvement from a year earlier.