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Labour Force Survey, June 2014

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Released: 2014-07-11

Employment was little changed in June and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 7.1% as more people were searching for work.

Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased by 72,000 or 0.4%. This was the lowest year-over-year growth rate since February 2010, when year-over-year employment growth resumed following the 2008-2009 labour market downturn.

The number of hours worked was little changed in the 12 months to June.

Chart 1  Chart 1: Employment - Description and data table
Employment

Chart 1: Employment - Description and data table

Employment decreased among youths aged 15 to 24 and people aged 25 to 54 in June, while it increased among people aged 55 and over.

Provincially, employment declined in Ontario as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, and increased in Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Employment fell in business, building and other support services as well as agriculture. At the same time, there were more people working in construction and 'other services.'

In June, there was little change in the number of private and public sector employees as well as the self-employed. On a year-over-year basis, all the growth was among private sector employees.

Adjusted to the concepts used in the United States, the unemployment rate in Canada was 6.1%, the same as the rate in the United States.

Chart 2  Chart 2: Unemployment rate - Description and data table
Unemployment rate

Chart 2: Unemployment rate - Description and data table

Declines among youths, gains among people 55 and over

In June, employment among youths aged 15 to 24 declined by 44,000, but their unemployment rate was little changed at 13.4% as fewer youths participated in the labour market. On a year-over-year basis, youth employment was down 50,000 (-2.0%) with this month accounting for most of the decline.

Employment declined by 26,000 for people aged 25 to 54, mostly among women, and the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.1%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment among people aged 25 to 54 was down slightly (-50,000 or -0.4%).

Among people aged 55 and over, employment increased by 60,000 in June, bringing their unemployment rate down 0.4 percentage points to 5.8%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment for this group was up 172,000 or 5.1%, partly a result of population ageing.

Provincial summary

In Ontario, employment fell by 34,000 in June, mostly among youths aged 15 to 24. The unemployment rate for the province rose 0.2 percentage points to 7.5%. On a year-over-year basis, employment in Ontario was little changed.

Employment in Newfoundland and Labrador fell for the third consecutive month, down 2,900 in June. The unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 12.5% as fewer people participated in the labour market. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was down 12,000 (-5.3%), with most of the losses occurring since January 2014.

In June, employment in Manitoba increased by 3,800. Despite this increase, employment in the province was down 5,200 or 0.8% from 12 months earlier.

Employment in New Brunswick rose by 2,700 in June, bringing gains over the year to 5,600 or 1.6%. The unemployment rate for the month fell 0.6 percentage points to 9.6%.

Industry perspective

In business, building and other support services, employment declined by 27,000 in June, but was little changed on a year-over-year basis.

There were 15,000 fewer people working in agriculture in June. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in this industry was down 23,000 (-7.1%).

Following five months of little change, the number of construction workers increased by 32,000 in June, bringing employment in this industry up to a level similar to that of 12 months earlier.

In June, employment rose by 21,000 in 'other services,' such as civic and social organizations as well as private household services. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in this industry was little changed.

Summer employment for students

From May to August, the Labour Force Survey collects labour market data about youths aged 15 to 24 who were attending school full time in March and who intend to return full time in the fall. The June survey results provide the first indicators of the summer job market, especially for students aged 20 to 24, as many students aged 15 to 19 are still in school. The data for July and August will provide further insight into the summer job market. The published data are not seasonally adjusted. Therefore, comparisons can only be made from one year to another.

In June, the employment rate among returning students aged 20 to 24, that is, the number of employed as a percentage of their population was 67.4%, similar to that of June 2013. The unemployment rate was 12.0% for this group of students, little changed from 12 months earlier.

Quarterly update for the territories

The Labour Force Survey also collects labour market information about the territories. This information is produced monthly in the form of three-month moving averages. The following data are not seasonally adjusted; therefore, comparisons should only be made on a year-over-year basis.

From the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2014, employment in Yukon was little changed and the unemployment rate fell from 5.3% to 4.3%.

Over the same period, employment in the Northwest Territories declined by 1,500 and the unemployment rate increased from 7.3% to 9.6%.

In Nunavut, employment was little changed in the second quarter of 2014 compared with the second quarter of 2013, and the unemployment rate was also virtually unchanged at 13.6%.

Canada-United States comparison

Adjusted to the concepts used in the United States, the unemployment rate in Canada was 6.1%, the same as the rate in the United States. In the 12 months to June, the unemployment rate in Canada was little changed while the rate in the US fell 1.4 percentage points. The decrease in the US unemployment rate was attributable to both an increase in employment and a decline in the participation rate.

The employment rate in Canada in June (adjusted to US concepts) was 62.0%, compared with 59.0% in the United States.



  Note to readers

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for June 2014 are for the week of June 15 to 21.

The LFS estimates are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. As a result, monthly estimates will show more variability than trends observed over longer time periods. For more information, see "Interpreting Monthly Changes in Employment from the Labour Force Survey." Estimates for smaller geographic areas or industries also have more variability. For an explanation of sampling variability of estimates and how to use standard errors to assess this variability, consult the "Data quality" section of the publication Labour Force Information (Catalogue number71-001-X).

This analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 68% confidence level.

The employment rate is the number of employed persons as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over. The rate for a particular group (for example, youths aged 15 to 24) is the number employed in that group as a percentage of the population for that group.

The unemployment rate is the number unemployed as a percentage of the labour force (employed and unemployed).

The participation rate is the number of employed and unemployed as a percentage of the population. For more detailed information, see the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (Catalogue number71-543-G).

Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted estimates, which facilitates comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.

Each year, LFS estimates for the previous three years are revised using the latest seasonal factors.

A more detailed summary, Labour Force Information (Catalogue number71-001-X), is now available online for the week ending June 21. From the Browse by key resource module of our website under Publications, choose All subjects, then Labour.

Data tables are also now available online. From the Browse by subject module of our website, choose Labour.

The next release of the Labour Force Survey will be on August 8.

Contact information

For more information, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca).

To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact May Roos (613-951-6014; may.roos@statcan.gc.ca) or Lahouaria Yssaad (613-951-0627; lahouaria.yssaad@statcan.gc.ca), Labour Statistics Division.

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