The Nunavut Bureau of Statistics has posted its September labour-force update. Statistics Canada estimates Nunavut’s labour force grew by 1,200 people over the year to 17,300. Employment increased by 700 and the employment rate rose 1.3 percentage points to 55.5%. At the same time, unemployment increased by 500 people and the unemployment rate rose 2.2 percentage points from 8.8% to 11.0%. Source↗

The figures are three-month moving averages ending in September, rather than a count for September alone. That helps smooth month-to-month swings, but the estimates remain rounded and should not be read as a precise count of every person working or seeking work.

The figures show that more Nunavummiut were working than a year earlier, but that job growth did not keep pace with the increase in people looking for work. For residents seeking jobs, the higher employment total does not mean the labour market became easier to enter: the number of people counted as unemployed also increased.

The latest month-over-month picture was somewhat different. From August to September, estimated employment fell by 200 and unemployment fell by 100, while the unemployment rate declined 0.3 percentage points from 11.3% to 11.0%. Source↗

Statistics Canada releases territorial Labour Force Survey results monthly. The next update will show whether the higher year-over-year unemployment level persists as the three-month average moves into October.

Statistics Canada reports a standard error of 0.2 thousand for Nunavut’s September employment and unemployment estimates, and 0.9 percentage points for the unemployment rate. The Nunavut Bureau of Statistics describes its local reports as Labour Force Survey data and has listed a September 2026 statistical brief and updated Nunavut and Iqaluit tables on its labour-force page. Source↗