Oshawa: city leads Canada's big cities in household financial struggles

Oshawa has the highest share of people living in households struggling to afford basic expenses among Canada's 15 largest urban areas, according to new figures from Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada reported Friday, November 6, that 38.4 per cent of people in the Oshawa metropolitan area lived in households that had difficulty paying for necessities such as housing, food, transportation and clothing in October. Windsor was next at 36.9 per cent, followed by Hamilton at 35.9 per cent, while the national average was 29.7 per cent.

The national share rose from 27.7 per cent in October 2025, the first increase since 2022, Statistics Canada said. Quebec City had the lowest rate among the 15 largest urban areas, at 15.7 per cent.

The figures come from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for October 2026, released Friday. Canada's unemployment rate rose to 6.7 per cent in October, up from 6.5 per cent in September, as employment fell by 4,700 jobs. Ontario's unemployment rate rose to 7.3 per cent from 7.0 per cent, with employment little changed for a third consecutive month.

Young workers were hit hardest: the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 rose to 13.7 per cent, up from 13.0 per cent in September. Wholesale and retail trade lost 29,000 jobs in October, while construction added 16,000 and educational services gained 15,000.

The strain was sharpest for single-parent households. Statistics Canada said 47.2 per cent of working-age people in single-parent households reported difficulty meeting basic expenses, compared with 33.0 per cent of couples with children and 27.3 per cent of couples without children. Nearly a quarter of unemployed Canadians — 23.7 per cent — had been looking for work for at least 27 weeks.