Trump’s tariffs could put 87,200 Canadians jobs at risk; Ontario and Quebec to be hit the hardest: report

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCanada Trump's tariffs could put 87,200 Canadians jobs at risk; Ontario and Quebec to be hit the hardest: report Direct losses land in agriculture, electronics, textiles, furniture and plastics, University of Calgary professor Trevor Tombe wrote in the analysis Author of the article: By Mason Kossak Published Aug 24, 2026 Last updated 2 hours ago 2 minute read Join the conversation Mark Carney talking to workers at an Ontario Line construction site. PHOTO BY PETER POWER /Peter Power Article content An economist has put Canadian job losses from the new U.S. tariffs at an estimated 87,200. Article content Trevor Tombe, a professor of economics at the University of Calgary, estimated in an analysis published by The Hub that the tariffs put a little over 87,000 Canadian jobs at risk. He said in an email to National Post that his model produces 87,200, and that he does not want to portray false precision in a number carrying that much uncertainty: “87K is no different than 90K.” Article content Article content Article content The analysis said losses on that scale would push the national unemployment rate from 6.4 per cent to 6.8. What happens to the rate depends on what the workers who lose those jobs decide to do, Tombe wrote, because the rate counts only people who are working or looking for work. “If they exit the labour force, then they’re no longer in the denominator either so the unemployment may not change. If they search for other work, then the unemployment would increase. We can’t know.” Article content NP Posted Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content The tariffs took effect Saturday, hours after Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended trade talks with Washington. Carney said in a statement they cover roughly $28 billion in Canadian goods, and that Canada will match them dollar-for-dollar. Article content About 52,000 of the jobs Tombe counted are connected to exporters hit directly. The other 35,000 jobs are linked to the suppliers and service firms that sell to the exporters, which is why the losses reach provinces the tariffs barely touch. Article content Ontario would take the largest hit at roughly 36,000…