A June 2026 internal evaluation report shows northern and remote RCMP detachments are critically understaffed, with vacancy rates exceeding 20 per cent in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Recruitment challenges, high living costs, and policy changes have compounded shortages that experts warn could undermine Arctic security.
The Canadian federal government announced reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker program, increasing the cap on foreign workers for eligible employers from 10 per cent to 15 per cent and extending Labour Market Impact Assessment validity from one to two years. The changes have drawn support from business groups and criticism from migrant rights advocates and the Conservative Party.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has asked the Competition Bureau to investigate Cleveland-Cliffs and its CEO after he admitted buying Canadian steelmaker Stelco to protect U.S. markets, amid disputes over hundreds of job cuts in Hamilton.
The Government of Canada introduced targeted reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program on November 6, 2026, extending LMIA durations for the Low-wage Stream and adding early childhood educators to priority exemptions. Further changes contingent on provincial opt-in are scheduled for March 2027.
Employment in Canada fell by 4,700 jobs in October 2026, missing economists' expectations for a gain of 13,600 positions. The national unemployment rate climbed to 6.7%, driven by more people entering the workforce, while youth unemployment rose sharply to 13.7%.
Statistics Canada reported that the unemployment rate climbed to 6.7% in October as the economy lost 4,700 jobs, marking a third straight month of employment declines. Private sector losses were largely offset by public sector gains, while youth unemployment jumped to 13.7%.
Amazon held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 4, 2026, for a 2.2-million-square-foot robotics fulfilment centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The facility, the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada, is expected to create over 1,000 full-time jobs when it opens in 2029.
In June 2025, Alphabet's Google expanded its voluntary exit program to employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland to manage rising costs linked to heavy artificial intelligence spending. The buyout offers exclude staff in priority units such as Google Cloud and DeepMind.
Glen Assoun, who was wrongfully convicted of the 1995 murder of Brenda Way in Dartmouth, was fully exonerated in 2019 after serving 17 years in prison. His story is detailed in the CBC podcast series 'Uncover: Dead Wrong.'
CUPE's Nova Scotia Board Council of Unions reached a tentative agreement with the province shortly after issuing a 48-hour strike notice on October 30, cancelling a planned November 2 work stoppage for education support staff.
A tentative agreement reached late Friday between the Nova Scotia government and CUPE prevents a Monday strike by roughly 5,500 school support staff. Premier Tim Houston confirmed schools will operate as usual next week, while the union recommends members vote in favour of the deal.
More than 5,500 school support workers in Nova Scotia represented by CUPE reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government ahead of a planned November 2 strike, following 10 months of bargaining over wages.
The American owner of a paper mill in Témiscaming, Quebec, has indefinitely shuttered the facility following the imposition of 50% US tariffs on Canadian wood and paper products. With most of the 360 employees out of work and property values falling, local workers are attempting to buy back the mill while seeking greater government support.
The Nova Scotia government and the Canadian Union of Public Employees agreed to resume negotiations in late October 2024, averting a strike by more than 5,500 school support workers that had been scheduled for November 2.
Interim Competition Commissioner Jeanne Pratt has called on provincial and territorial labour ministers to introduce legislation restricting non-compete agreements, citing OECD data that up to 39% of Canadian private-sector workers are bound by such clauses.
Statistics Canada reported a decline of 49,600 payroll jobs in August 2026, driven largely by the end of temporary federal census staffing. Average weekly earnings rose to $1,355, while job vacancies held steady at 507,200 for the eighth consecutive month.
More than 5,500 CUPE school support workers in Nova Scotia plan to issue a 48-hour strike notice on October 30 if their demand for a $3.50-per-hour wage increase is not met, potentially triggering a province-wide strike on November 2 that would affect over 133,000 students.
Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves stated that up to 175 laid-off Stelco workers in Ontario could be recalled by Christmas if Canadian demand for domestic steel rises or U.S. tariffs are reduced. The remarks follow a dispute with the Canadian government over alleged violations of employment commitments made when Cliffs acquired Stelco in 2024.
High Liner Foods has agreed to be acquired by Japanese seafood company Umios for $804 million. Union representatives at the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia plant are seeking assurances that jobs, contracts, and pensions will be protected. The deal requires shareholder and regulatory approval and is expected to close in early 2027.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says she will meet with Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves only after the company provides a concrete plan and timeline to restore jobs at Stelco. The Canadian government has threatened legal action or forced divestiture if alleged violations of 2024 acquisition commitments are not resolved within 15 days.
U.S. oil firm ConocoPhillips plans to announce layoffs affecting employees and contractors in Canada on Tuesday, as part of a global strategy to reduce its 13,000-strong workforce by 20% to 25%. The cuts come despite expectations of significant growth in the Canadian oil industry driven by new export pipeline expansions.
Microsoft announced voluntary buyouts for approximately 60,000 employees—more than a quarter of its global workforce—to contain costs and fund massive AI investments. The offer targets eligible staff at level 70 and below in Canada, India, the U.K., and the U.S. across specific units, following earlier job cuts this year.
More than 50 educational program assistants were laid off this fall at the Halifax Regional Centre for Education. CUPE Local 5047 and parents allege the cuts are tied to a provincial directive to reassess student support needs, reducing services for children with exceptionalities despite rising demand.
Federal public service workers and scientists gathered in Halifax on Friday to protest Bill C-39, which they say attacks union and worker rights.
About 5,500 school support workers in Nova Scotia will be in a legal strike position on Monday after a conciliation meeting failed to resolve disputes over wages, benefits, safety, staffing, and training. A strike could begin as early as Wednesday, with some regions planning full school closures.
Internal documents obtained by The Globe and Mail show Amazon deployed an AI tool called Atlas across more than 50 warehouses in the U.S., Canada, and Europe to assign labour risk scores and evaluate the likelihood of unionization. In British Columbia, where Unifor is negotiating a first collective agreement after certifying workers at the Delta warehouse in July 2025, the facility recorded the highest volume of high-severity employee relations events.
Eight member locals of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions have outlined settlement requirements to avoid a strike in public schools. As of Friday, no government movement was reported on issues including staffing shortages, inadequate wages, and workplace violence.
The Government of Canada will begin accepting applications for the $5,000 Team Canada Strong Red Seal Completion Bonus on November 16, 2026. The bonus is part of an $8 billion initiative aimed at recruiting, training, and hiring up to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers by 2030-2031.
Parks Canada plans to eliminate the equivalent of 500 full-time positions following a $145 million federal budget cut over three years. Nearly 3,000 staff members have been notified their jobs are at risk, prompting criticism from the Public Service Alliance of Canada over potential impacts on Jasper wildfire recovery efforts.
More than 5,500 Canadian Union of Public Employees members in Nova Scotia are in a legal strike position following failed bargaining negotiations. The potential job action, which could begin Oct. 26, involves school support workers but not teachers, raising concerns among families of children with disabilities.
