The Canada Jobs Report: Fall 2019

Monthly employment gains in May

In last month’s Canadian Jobs Report we informed you that there was an increase in the annual jobs figure, as employment grew by 426,000 (+2.3 percent). The good news is that the positive story that emerged in April was backed up strongly in May as the number of people working in the labour market increased by over 27,000 month-on-month for a new total of 19,056,800. Similarly, and as we discussed earlier, the unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points for a new total of 5.4 percent — the lowest rate since 1976.

BC awakes from its employment slumber

From a provincial perspective, four provinces recorded upturns in employment numbers in May. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick saw modest gains of 4,500 and 3,000 jobs in their respective labour markets, but in Ontario and British Columbia more sizable jobs market increases were detected.

Employment in Ontario rose by 21,000 in May, with notable increases among the core-aged population and among women. Similarly, year-on-year employment was up by 222,000, or 3.1 percent. However, perhaps the bigger story is in BC where, following little change in the previous five months, employment rose by 17,000 in May. Compared with May 2018, employment in the province grew by 107,000 (+4.3%).

Elsewhere, Alberta and Quebec remained relatively unchanged in terms of month-to-month employment variations, but the story was less positive on the east coast where employment in Newfoundland and Labrador was down 2,700, driven by losses in part-time work.

Industry in focus: Clean energy

With more and more attention being played to the impact of global warming and climate change in recent times, it should come as no surprise that this month we are shining a light on the clean energy sector. One point that may come as a surprise however is just how developed this sector is in Canada right now, and it looks to be growing from strength to strength as Canada’s labour market grows and diversifies.

Canada’s clean energy sector employed 298,000 Canadians as of 2017. What’s more, it’s growing in value by 4.8 percent every year — a third faster than Canada’s economy as a whole. Pretty impressive numbers, I hear you say, but which jobs are covered under the umbrella term of clean energy?

In general, the clean energy sector includes companies and jobs in the Canadian economy that help cut carbon pollution, whether by creating clean energy, moving it or shaping how it’s used for heat, power and transportation. This diverse sector has created jobs across every province, and is an increasingly important part of employment in the Canadian labour market..

If you want some quick and concise takeaways of the value of the clean energy sectorto Canada’s economic and environmental sustainability, then these five should come in handy:

1. The value of the clean energy sector grew by 4.8% a year between 2010 and 2017. Compare that to the whole of Canada’s economy, which grew by 3.6% annually over that same period.
2. The number of jobs grew by 2.2% a year between 2010 and 2017 — nearly 60% faster than Canada’s economy as a whole.
3. Investment in the clean energy sector went up by 70% between 2010 and 2017, mirroring well-above-average rises in its GDP.
4. Clean transport was the biggest employer, providing 57% of the jobs in 2017.
5. Renewable energy supply is one of the biggest earners, providing 40% of the sector’s GDP contribution.

That’s it for this month, but if you would like to join the team at Moving2Canada, then you’re in luck as we’re hiring! Visit our Careers Page for more information.

If you want to see how the figures in this month’s Jobs Report compare with previous months, then feel free to view our helpful slides below.

Year-on year unemployment reductions

In last month’s Jobs Report we informed you that there was an increase in the annual unemployment figures, with a net decline of 7,200 jobs nationwide. Well, we’re now pleased to report that this annual trend was reversed in April as employment grew by 426,000 (+2.3 percent). Gains were made in both full-time (+248,000) and part-time (+179,000) work compared with April 2018. In addition, total hours worked were up 1.3 percent in the same period.

Unemployment falls below 5 percent in Quebec

From a provincial perspective, Quebec was the big winner in terms of unemployment reduction in April with the province reporting a new rate of 4.9 percent. This new unemployment figure represents a reduction of 0.3 percentage points month-on-month, and a yearly fall of 0.5 percentage points.

It was a similarly positive story in Prince Edward Island, where unemployment fell by 0.3 and 2.2 percentage points, respectively, in terms of monthly and yearly comparisons for a new total of 8.6 percent.

Yearly reductions were also evident in Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Colombia. The one black mark on Canada’s unemployment copybook for April was in Ontario, where unemployment has hit the 6 percent mark.

Industry in focus: Electricity providers

A recent report from the Electricity Human Resources Canada suggests that the industry is going to have to appeal to a younger and more diverse cohort of people if it wants to ensure that the lights stay on in homes and businesses across Canada. The report indicated that at least 20,500 new workers will be needed in power plants and transmission systems before 2022 if the needs of Canada’s expanding population are to be met.

Most of the new workers will be needed to replace the aging workforce, but the industry is also expanding as demand for power grows thanks to battery-powered electronics, electric cars, and digital systems.

Unlike other industries, the electrical industry is not as diverse as Canada as a whole, with women accounting for only one in four employees and visible minorities just over one in 10. Moreover, of the almost 107,000 people employed directly in the industry in Canada, fewer than one in 20 people employed in the sector are under the age of 25, meaning it is a far older industry than the Canadian average.

The challenge of finding new and skilled workers in the electricity provider industry are complicated further by the more demanding training that is tied to positions in this sector. Speaking on the issue, Electricity Human Resources Canada CEO Michelle Branigan had this to say:

“These people are not trained in like three months or six months and ready to hit the ground running.”

There is no doubt that the shortfall of new workers in the electricity industry in Canada is problematic, and challenges exist to diversify and grow the workforce. That said, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Given the success that recent and longer-landed immigrants have had in Canada in recent years, it feels like a win-win for all involved.

Finally, if you would like to join the team at Moving2Canada, then you’re in luck as we’re hiring! Visit our Careers Page for more information.

If you want to see how the figures in this month’s Jobs Report compare with previous months, then feel free to view our helpful slides below.

Canada Job Market April 2019 update

New Canadian employment figures are released each month, and you’ll always find the latest data here on our Moving2Canada Jobs Report.

The data below comes from the Labour Force Survey, produced by Statistics Canada.

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Want to dig deeper into the Canada Jobs Report data? Try these interactive tools, courtesy of StatsCan.

Highest immigrant numbers in a century contribute to Canada’s lowest unemployment rate for decades

According to a recent Statistics Canada report, over 321,000 people moved to Canada in 2018. This figure means that more immigrants arrived in Canada in 2018 compared with any other year since 1913, when 401,000 newcomers landed in Canada. This influx of individuals and families to Canada saw the nation’s population growth top half a million people for the first time since the late 1950’s.

In percentage terms, Canada’s population increased by 1.4 percent in 2018, the fastest increase since 1990 and the strongest among Group of Seven countries. And while it would be ill-informed to attribute Canada’s recent record low unemployment levels exclusively to newcomers to Canada, immigrants continue to play a vital role in the growth and development of the Canadian economy.

A closer look at immigrant employment trends in Canada for March shows that immigrants who landed in Canada more than five years ago, but last than a decade ago, saw month-on-month decreases of 0.2 percentage points in March for a new total of 6.6 percent. This total is less than one percentage point higher than the total unemployment figure for all Canadians.

Finally, from a continent-specific point of view, only North American immigrants saw a month-on-month reduction in their unemployment figure for a new total of 4.4 percent.

Notice: Immigrant unemployment rates are not available in seasonally adjusted statistics.

Year-on year employment growth

In last month’s Jobs Report we informed you that overall employment increased by 369,000, or 2 percent compared with February 2018. Unfortunately, the downward trajectory in the unemployment total was checked somewhat in March with a net decline of 7,200 jobs. That said, in the first quarter of 2019, employment rose by 116,000 (+0.6%). Similarly, year-on-year, employment grew by 332,000 (+1.8%).

Employment up Atlantic Canada and Prairie provinces.

Employment increased by 3,900 in Saskatchewan in March and the unemployment rate declined by 0.9 percentage points to for a new total of 4.9 percent—the lowest rate since August 2015.

It was a similarly positive story in New Brunswick, where employment rose by 3,100, while the unemployment rate decreased by 0.6 percentage points to 7.9 percent.

In Prince Edward Island, an additional 2,000 people were employed in March as the unemployment rate fell by 1.4 percentage points to 8.9 percent. One of the biggest challenges facing Canada’s smallest province has been the retention of immigrant workers. For optimal results to this question it has been suggested that the private sector needs to take a more hands-on approach to keep newcomers in PEI. Recognizing the growing labour supply issue, Cavendish Farms, a JD Irving Limited company, has appointed a director of immigration for this very purpose. We will continue to monitor this development closely in the coming months and see if other businesses follow suit.

Industry in focus: Agriculture

Based on Statistics Canada detailed reporting, agriculture has seen the strongest year-on-year growth, with 3,500 jobs created through March 2019. As we touched on earlier, the industry also saw the hourly rate of pay in the sector increase by $0.73 cents or 3.8 percentage points on the same time last year. Much of this growth has been based in the Prairie provinces including Saskatchewan. In fact, the “Breadbasket of Canada” now has the second lowest unemployment rate in the country, behind British Columbia’s 4.7 percent.

Finally, if you would like to join the team at Moving2Canada, then you’re in luck as we’re hiring! Visit our Careers Page for more information.

If you want to see how the figures in this month’s Jobs Report compare with previous months, then feel free to view our helpful slides below.

The juggernaut that is the Canadian economy continues to defy expectations, with unemployment remaining below six percent and 55,900 net new jobs added across the country through February. This gain was far greater than expected by economists.

The number of new full-time positions was actually greater than the overall net figure, with around 67,400 more full-time positions offset by a decline of 11,600 part-time roles. Some of these changes may be explained, at least in part, by more workers moving from part-time employment to full-time roles — and that means more workers with more stable incomes and higher wages.

Canada job market: latest unemployment figures

As has been the case over recent months, immigrants to Canada are at the heart of this continuing success story.

Canada Job Market February 2019 update

New Canadian employment figures are released each month, and you’ll always find the latest data here on our Moving2Canada Jobs Report.

Yearly unemployment rate drops for Latin American, African and Asian immigrant groups

Despite the ongoing political controversy whirling around Ottawa at present, the reality is that immigration is likely to be one of the most important issues in this year’s federal election campaign. The Liberal and Conservative party leaders may not be diametrically opposed on the issue of immigration but there is no doubt that Conservative Party leader, Andrew Scheer does not agree with all aspects of Prime Minister Trudeau’s pro-immigration policies. While it may be difficult to predict the future in this respect, one thing that is for certain is that immigrants are continuing to contribute positively to the Canadian economy.

A closer look at immigrant employment trends in Canada for February shows that immigrants who landed in Canada in the last decade  saw month-on-month decreases of 0.2 percentage points in February for a new total of 6.8 percent – just one percentage point higher than the total unemployment figure for all Canadians.

Finally from a continent-specific point of view, only European immigrants saw a month-on-month reduction. However, there was year-on-year unemployment reductions for the African, Asian and Latin American cohorts in Canada, while unemployment level among Europeans (4.7 percent) is the same as it was a year ago in February 2018.

Notice: Immigrant unemployment rates are not available in seasonally adjusted statistics.

Year-on year employment growth increased  further in February

In last month’s Jobs Report we informed you that overall employment increased by 327,000, or 1.8 percent compared with January 2018. Well, we have more good news in February as the year-on-year increase on February 2018 is 369,100. This equates to an increase of 2 percent.

Finally, from a demographic perspective, youth employment had an important role to play in this month’s positive employment story. The number of young people employed (aged between 15 to 24) in Canada increased for the second consecutive month, jumping by 29,000 in February. The increase was split pretty evenly between young women (+16,000) and young men (+13,000). The unemployment rate for youth was little changed, at 10.8 percent.

Positive and negatives for Canadian provinces in February

The second month of the year saw the unemployment rate across Canada remain constant at 5.8 percent.

A deeper dive into the figures illustrates that Ontario and Quebec both saw employment gains. Employment in Ontario rose for the second consecutive month, up 37,000 in February, boosted by gains in full-time work (+59,000). However, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.7 percent as more people participated in the Ontario labour market.

Similarly, in Quebec, employment edged up slightly in February, continuing the upward trend from Fall 2018. The unemployment rate was little changed at 5.3 percent.

In the prairies, the story is a little less positive as employment fell by 3,300 in Manitoba in February but the unemployment rate actually fell to 5.3 percent because there were fewer people participating in the labour market.

People in focus: Women in Canada’s economy

As we sat to down to digest the latest StatsCan employment information and write this report, millions of people around the world were participating in International Women’s Day in myriad ways. So what better day is there to focus on the role of women in Canada’s economy?

With an avowedly feminist Prime Minister and gender-balanced cabinet in Ottawa, Canada’s government is signaling to the world that this is a place where anyone, regardless of their gender, can reach the highest levels of public office. But what about those who earn their wages in the private sector or in government roles that don’t always make the front pages? Let’s take a look.

As recently as 1991, around three quarters of women aged 25 to 54 (75.9 percent) participated in Canada’s job market. This was more than three times the participation rate of 1950, but significantly short of the nearly 83 percent labour force participation rate among women in 2017. This was 10 points higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 73 percent.

The surge of women in the Canadian workforce coincided with socio-demographic and economic changes, such as increased participation in higher levels of education, delayed marriage and childbearing, and increased separation and divorce.

The empowerment of women and growth in the economy is not a coincidence — leading economists have long established this as a recipe for economic success not just in Canada, but pretty much anywhere — but Canada still has some work to do if it is to be viewed as completely egalitarian when it comes to gender and the economy.

Yes, women’s average personal income has increased in the last 40 years, but it’s still the case that not all women are receiving the same wage as men for the same work at the same location. However, the gap appears to be closing as a 2018 StatsCan reportrevealed that between 1976 and 2015, women’s average personal income increased by $19,200, from $16,100 to $35,300 (in constant 2015 dollars), but there is no doubt that more needs to be done.

At Moving2Canada, we are delighted to have welcomed two amazing, talented women to the team over the past few months and we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all they do for the Moving2Canada team. Thank you,  Maria and Shannon!

Finally, if you would like to join the team at Moving2Canada, then you’re in luck as we’re hiring! Visit our Careers Page for more information.

The festive period brought many seasons greetings for the Canada job market in December, as unemployment remained at its lowest level in over 40 years. Yet again, immigrants have been instrumental in achieving this important milestone.

While the monthly national unemployment rate remained constant at 5.6 percent in December 2018, there were further significant unemployment reductions among the immigrant cohort. In total, immigrant joblessness now stands at 6.4 percent, thereby representing the lowest total since 2006. In addition, the recently released Statistics Canada report now shows that 26 percent of the total Canadian workforce is made up of immigrants.

Looking at the unemployment numbers from a provincial perspective,  Newfoundland and Labrador continued its trend of reduced joblessness in recent months for a current employment rate of 11.7 percent. Staying in the wider Atlantic region, the news was less positive in Prince Edward Island where employment dropped for a current unemployment rate of 9.6 percent.

From an industry point of view, much of the positive news in December was as a result of manufacturing, where 24,000 more people were employed in the sector, with the bulk of the increase in Ontario and Alberta. Moreover, jobs in transportation and warehousing rose by 15,000, continuing the upward trend that began in early 2016.

Canada Job Market December 2018 update

New Canadian employment figures are released each month, and you’ll always find the latest data here on our Moving2Canada Jobs Report.

Immigrant unemployment at an all time low

The most recent data from Statistics Canada indicates that unemployment among immigrants in Canada is at an all time low. In addition, the employment gap between newcomers and Canadian-born workers has also narrowed further as the data points to the fact that immigrants now make up approximately 26 percent of the entire Canadian labour force.

Moreover, between 2016 and 2017, the majority (66 percent) of national employment growth was because of immigrants aged 25-54 and Canadian-born workers aged 55 and older. The reasons for this are multifaceted but the fact that immigrants to Canada are also more likely to be university educated than Canadian-born citizens is definitely an important factor.

Immigrants who have been in Canada less than five years, more than five years, and those resident in the country ten years or more all had the same or reduced year-on-year unemployment levels in December. The most notable reduction coming from those in Canada more than ten years who had a 0.6 percentage points reduction from December 2017.

From a continent-specific point of view, December saw unemployment fall among four of the five immigrant groups. African immigrants continued their downward unemployment trend of late with a month on month reduction of 0.3 percentage points for a new total of 7.6 percent.

Notice: Immigrant unemployment rates are not available in seasonally adjusted statistics.

Employment up by over 160,000 in 2018

In 2018, employment increased by 163,000 or 0.9 percent, while unemployment fell to the forty year low of 5.6 percent for the final two months of the year. Full-time employment continued on an upward trend in 2018, growing by 185,000 or 1.2 percent, while part-time employment was little changed

2018 saw employment among men and women aged 55 and over rise by 50,000 in 2018, with most of the increase among men, whose unemployment rate fell 0.8 percentage points to 5.3 percent over the period. For women in this age group, employment was little changed, as was their unemployment rate of 4.6 percent.

Finally, in 2018, the number of people employed in the private sector increased by 101,000, while public sector employment was little changed and self-employment edged up slightly.

A mixed bag for provincial employment levels in December

December brought positives and negatives from a provincial employment perspective.

Employment fell by 17,000 in Alberta in December, with New Brunswick (fall of 3,100) and Prince Edward Island (fall of 1,200) also seeing reductions in the numbers working.

By contrast, December saw unemployment reductions in Ontario (0.2 percentage points) and Newfoundland and Labrador (0.5 percentage points). However, despite the decrease in unemployment figures in November, Newfoundland and Labrador continued to rank last when it comes to overall unemployment figures, with a current total of 11.7 percent unemployed.

For 2018 as a whole, Ontario saw its employment base grow by 78,000, all in full-time work. The unemployment rate in the province edged down 0.2 percentage points to 5.4 percent, the second lowest rate among the provinces. Similarly, employment in British Columbia grew by 44,000 in 2018, almost entirely in full-time work, while the unemployment rate edged down to 4.4 percent, still the lowest among the provinces. Finally, following robust growth in 2017, employment in Quebec was unchanged in 2018.

Industry in focus: Retail

If there is one month of the year where the retail sector needs to receive a little bit of love and attention, then it is definitely December. From Black Friday mayhem at the end of November through the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping to the subsequent Boxing Day sales, there is generally a lot of activity around the retail sector at this time of year, and 2018 was no different.

Unfortunately, December saw retail sales fall following three consecutive months of growth. And while economists were predicting a drop of 0.5 percent, in reality sales were down by 0.8 per cent from November to a total of $49.6 billion.

The report from Statistics Canada indicates that sales at general merchandise stores fell by 5.3 percent in December following increases in October and November, while sales at health and personal care stores dropped 3.8 per cent, mainly due to declines in Ontario.

Similarly, sales at electronics and appliance stores dropped to 9.1 per cent in December following a 12.7 per cent jump in November on new product releases and stronger promotional activity for Black Friday.

Finally, and to end on a positive note, sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers rose 2.1 percent increase in December, following a 3.4 percent decrease in November.

Employment up over 200,000 in 12 months

In the year to November 2018, employment increased by 219,000, or 1.2 percent, for a new total of 18,799,100. Over the same period, the total hours worked were up 2.1 percent.

Many of the employment gains in November 2018 were thanks to increases in the construction, transport and warehousing sectors. A total of 24,000 extra jobs were created across these three sectors in November, with many of the gains coming in British Columbia.

Finally, much of the employment growth registered this month was because of increases for private sector employees, while little changed for public sector employees. There was also negligible difference for the number of self-employed people in Canada in November.

Employment up in six provinces 

From a provincial perspective, the fall in the number of people unemployed in the Canadian job market in November was largely down to the economic performances among the traditional provincial big-hitters.

Employment increases were in evidence in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta in November, with the former seeing employment rise by 26,000 in November, the result of more full-time work, particularly in the professional, scientific and technical, and educational services.

Employment grew by 24,000 in Alberta in November for a yearly increase totaling 59,000, or 2.6 percent. Similarly, Ontario continued its recovery from a slight late-summer slump to register an increase of 20,000 in employment last month.

Among the other provinces, unemployment fell significantly (0.7 percentage points) in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. While Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba also saw monthly unemployment decreases of 0.5 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively.

However, despite the decrease in unemployment figures in November, Newfoundland and Labrador continued to rank last when it comes to overall unemployment figures, with a current total of 12.2 percent unemployed.

Industry in focus: STEM 

Science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM as it is more commonly known, is one of the fastest growing industries in Canada.

To date in 2018, an increasing emphasis has being placed on STEM training among a range of employment sectors from government bodies and NGOs to commercial companies and venture capitalists. And given its track record in these industries, Canada looks set to be front and centre as this industry continues to expand into 2019 and beyond.

Canadian entrepreneurship may be driving this latest STEM trend, but it is also being taken seriously by the government of Canada as can be seen by its Innovation and Skills Plan outlined in the 2017 budget.

If the anticipated drive for cloud and mobile technologies, as well as for increased data and digital content, continues into 2019 and beyond, then the opportunities for STEM professionals in Canada’s many technological hubs looks to be great. Spending for such services looks set to increase $8.7 billion by 2019, a jump of $1.1 billion from 2015.

At Moving2Canada, we are confident that this will not be the last we will hear positive news from this sector in the months and years ahead.