Employment rises in April 2024
Employment increased by 90,000 (+0.4%) in April, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.1%. The employment rate held steady at 61.4%, following six consecutive monthly declines. Employment gains in April were driven by part-time employment (+50,000; +1.4%). Total hours worked rose 0.8% in April and were up 1.2% compared with 12 months earlier.
Source: Labour Force Survey, April 2024
Canada's merchandise trade for 2023 was essentially in a balanced position
In 2023, the value of Canada's annual merchandise exports decreased 1.4% to $768.2 billion, while the value of annual imports rose 1.4% to $770.2 billion. As a result, Canada's merchandise trade balance with the world went from a surplus of $19.7 billion in 2022 to a slight deficit of $1.9 billion in 2023.
Source: Canadian international merchandise trade: Annual review 2023
Retail sales up 4.1% on an annual basis in February 2024
Retail sales reached $56.3 billion in February, an increase of 4.1% compared with the same month one year earlier. Higher sales were reported in 11 of the 18 commodity classes. The largest increase in dollar terms came from sales of food and beverages, which rose 8.0% in February compared with the same month in 2023. Growth in this commodity class was driven by higher sales of fresh food (+7.9%).
Source: Retail Commodity Survey, February 2024
Stocks of canola and barley increased as of March 31, 2024, compared with the same period in 2023
As of March 31, 2024, total stocks of wheat, oats, corn and soybeans were all down, while stocks of canola and barley increased, compared with the same period in 2023.
Source: Stocks of principal field crops, March 31, 2024
Number of agriculture employees increased from 2021 to 2022
The number of agriculture employees in Canada reached 278,373 in 2022, up 0.5% from 2021. Nearly one in four agriculture employees (23.2%) in 2022 were temporary foreign workers, mostly from Central and South America.
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