Retail Jobs Drop, Job Market Cools

0:00Retail jobs took a hit last month, dropping by 5,900 or 0.3% according to Statistics Canada. That's after a 7,000 drop in January and a small gain back in December of 2025. Overall payroll employment across Canada, failed by 60,200 or 0.3%, marking a reversal from January's gains. Year over year, retail employment is down 26,400 or 1.3% with big losses in clothing stores, grocery, spots, department stores, and building supply dealers. One bright spot, warehouse clubs and super centers added 5,100 jobs, up 3.2%. Accommodation in food services also did by 4,100 in February, mainly from restaurants and special food services though. They're up slightly by 1,200 year over year. These sectors are feeling the pinch alongside retail. Other areas saw declines too, like transportation and warehousing down 14,000 administrative services off 7,500 and construction losing 4,200.

1:07Job vacancies held steady at 497,200 but down 5.5% from last year. This snapshot shows a cool and job market and key consumer areas, so keep an eye on how spinning trends play out moving forward. That wraps Canada News today, brought to you with AI. I'm Corey with The Story.