Amid Trump tariff threat, Canadian economy adds 76,000 jobs – National [Video]

Canada’s economy added 76,000 jobs in January as the country braced for the impact of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, marking the third consecutive month of jobs growth.

The unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points last month, bringing Canada’s unemployment rate to 6.6 per cent, with the largest gains (33,000 jobs) coming from the manufacturing sector, Statistics Canada said in its monthly labour force survey.

The U.S. also reported jobs data on Friday. U.S. employers added 143,000 jobs last month, but the unemployment rate fell to four per cent to start 2025.

The latest jobs report comes as Canada faces the threat of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which economists have warned could lead to mass layoffs, particularly in Canada’s manufacturing sector.

The drop in Canada’s unemployment rate was driven largely by youth aged 15 to 24, whose unemployment rate fell to 13.6 per cent, down from a recent high of 14.2 per cent in August and December 2024.