July to September, 2021
Introduction
About the Ontario Employment Report
The Ontario Employment Report is released four times a year and provides an assessment of the current trends and developments in the Ontario labour market. The Ontario Employment Report is a companion report to the Ontario Economic Accounts, which provides an overall assessment of the current state of the Ontario economy.
Methodological note
In the current issue, year-over-year change represents change between the averages in the third quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2021. Note that the Ontario Economic Accounts report primarily shows changes between the previous and the current quarter.
This report uses seasonally adjusted data in charts displaying data with a monthly frequency in the Overview section.
Unadjusted data is used in charts and tables showing the changes for the current quarter compared with the same quarter for the previous year. Unadjusted data is also used to calculate annual averages, year-to-date averages and 2021 third quarter averages.
All estimates in this report are based on Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS), which measures the current state of the national provincial and territorial labour market. The LFS is based on a household survey carried out monthly by Statistics Canada in reference weeks of the month. The reference periods for the three months of the third quarter of 2021 are July 11 to 17, August 15 to 21 and September 12 to 18.
Impact of COVID‑19 on the labour market
Beginning in mid-March 2020, travel restrictions, business closures and physical distancing measures were put in place by various levels of government to help contain the spread of COVID‑19 and protect the health of Ontarians. These restrictions and public health measures were in place to varying degrees throughout 2020 and 2021.
In June 2021, Ontario transitioned into the Roadmap to Reopen
Overview
Ontario’s labour market overview
Employment:
- +414,900 net jobs in Q3 2021, year-over-year
- +332,500 net full-time jobs in Q3 2021, year-over-year
- +73,600 jobs in September 2021
- +135,500 full-time jobs in September 2021
Unemployment rate:
- 8.1% in the third quarter of 2021
- 7.3% in September of 2021
Year-over-year, Ontario’s employment increased by 5.9% (+414,900) in the third quarter of 2021, while Canada’s employment increased by 5.1% (+935,900). Employment in Ontario in the third quarter of 2021 was 0.3% higher than in the same quarter in 2019, prior to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Ontario’s unemployment rate was 8.1% in the third quarter of 2021, higher than the Canadian rate of 7.3%. It was 3.0 percentage points lower than in the third quarter of 2020, but 2.2 percentage points higher than in the same quarter of 2019.
In September 2021, Ontario’s employment increased by 1.0% (+73,600), and for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, has exceeded its pre-pandemic level in February 2020 (+8,600 or +0.1%). Canada’s employment increased by 0.8% (+157,100), also exceeding its pre-pandemic level of employment (+900 or +0.0%).
In September 2021, Ontario’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage point (from 7.6% to 7.3%) and Canada’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage point (from 7.1% to 6.9%). Ontario’s unemployment rate continued to exceed its pre-pandemic rate of 5.5%, since employment growth (+0.1%) had not kept pace with labour force growth (+2.1%) since February 2020.
Year-over-year overview
Ontario’s labour market, 2008-2021
The combination line and area chart shows Ontario’s unemployment rate (line chart) and employment (area chart) from January 2008 to September 2021. Ontario’s unemployment rate has trended downwards since the 2008/09 recession, reaching 5.3% in January 2020, before rising to 13.5% in May 2020, and falling to 7.3% in September 2021. Employment in Ontario has risen steadily since the 2008/09 recession, reaching just under 7.5 million workers in January 2020, before dropping to below 6.4 million workers in May 2020, then rising to close to 7.5 million workers in September 2021.
Between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021:
- employment gains were concentrated in full-time employment (+332,500, +5.7%), while part-time work also increased (+82,300, +6.8%);
- employment increased in the private sector (+6.0%), the public sector (+9.3%) and for those who are self-employed (+1.2%);
- employment increased in services-producing industries (+6.6%) and goods-producing industries (+3.2%);
- employment increased in every region except for Northern Ontario (-0.7%), with Southwestern Ontario (8.1%) experiencing the highest rate of employment growth; and
- employment increased for all age groups with youth experiencing the highest rate of employment growth (+16.0%) compared to other age groups.
Type of Work quarterly details
Employment change by work status
The horizontal bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) change in Ontario’s employment by full-time and part-time status. Total employment increased by 5.9%, with full-time employment increasing by 5.7%, and part-time employment increasing by 6.8%.
Year-over-year, part-time employment increased by 6.8% and full-time employment increased by 5.7% in the third quarter of 2021. As of September 2021, full-time employment in Ontario exceeded its pre-pandemic level in February 2020 (+0.5%), while part-time employment was somewhat below its pre-pandemic level (-1.4%).
Overall, part-time workers have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID‑19 pandemic as they are more likely to work in industries that experienced the largest declines in employment, including accommodation and food services and retail trade.
Employment change by employment sector
The horizontal bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) change in Ontario’s employment for the private sector, public sector and self-employment. Employment increased in the private sector (+6.0%), the public sector (+9.3%) and for the self-employed (+1.2%).
Year-over-year, private sector employment increased by 6.0%, public sector employment increased by 9.3% and self-employment increased by 1.2%.
Employment change by above-average wage and below-average wage industries
The horizontal bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) change in Ontario’s employment for above- and below-average wage industries, compared to the paid employment in all industries. Employment increased in both below-average and above-average wage industries by 5.2% and 8.8%, respectively. Paid employment in all industries (excluding self-employment) increased by 6.7%. Above-average wage industries are defined as those with wage rates above the average hourly wages of all industries in 2020.
Year-over-year, paid employment increased in below-average wage industries by 5.2% and employment in above-average wage industries increased by 8.8%.
Sector and occupation quarterly details
Employment change by industry, goods-producing industries
The horizontal bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) change in Ontario’s employment by industry for goods-producing industries, measured in thousands with percentage changes in brackets. Employment increased in three of five goods-producing industries: construction (+27,200, +5.2%), manufacturing (+20,700, +2.7%), utilities (+4,200, +8.3%). The goods-producing industries that experienced an employment decline were forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas (-2,900, -7.4%) and agriculture (-2,700, -3.7%). The overall employment in goods-producing industries increased by 46,400 (+3.2%).
Employment in goods-producing industries increased in the third quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. The overall gain was driven by increases in construction (+5.2%) and manufacturing (+2.7%), while utilities experienced the largest rate of employment growth (+8.3%). Employment declined in forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas (-7.4%) and agriculture (-3.7%).
Employment change by industry, services-producing industries
The horizontal bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) change in Ontario’s employment by industry for services-producing industries, measured in thousands with percentage changes in brackets. Employment increased in ten of the eleven services-producing industries. Professional, scientific and technical services (+99,400, +15.1%) experienced the largest increase in employment, followed by health care and social assistance (+55,100, +6.3%), accommodation and food services (+52,500, +15.2%), wholesale and retail trade (+39,900, +3.8%), educational services (+34,700, +7.5%), information, culture and recreation (+33,700, +11.4%), public administration (+32,100, +8.3%), transportation and warehousing (+25,100, +7.2%), business, building and other support services (+10,200, +3.4%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (+7,900, +1.3%). Other services (except public administration) was the only services-producing industry to experience an employment decline (-22,100, -7.5%). The overall employment in services-producing industries increased by 368,400 (+6.6%).
In the third quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, employment increased in all services-producing industries, except for other services (excluding public administration) (-7.5%). Among services-producing industries, professional, scientific and technical services (+15.1%) experienced the largest employment gains followed by health care and social assistance (+6.3%), accommodation and food services (+15.2%) and wholesale and retail trade (+3.8%).
Employment change by occupational group
The horizontal bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) change in Ontario’s employment by broad occupational group measured in thousands with percentage changes in brackets. Occupations in business, finance and administration occupations (+166,400, +14.0%) experienced the largest employment increase, followed by sales and service occupations (+59,600, +3.7%), natural and applied sciences and related occupations (+59,200, +8.5%), occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (+50,900, +6.8%), health occupations (+27,900, +5.2%), occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport (+27,000, +13.2%), management occupations (+24,700, +3.7%), trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (+4,900, +0.5%). Employment in natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (+0.0, +0.0%) remained unchanged. Employment in manufacturing and utilities occupations declined by 5,600 (-1.6%).
Year-over-year, employment increased in every broad occupational group, except manufacturing and utilities occupations (-1.6%). Occupations in business, finance and administration (+14.0%) experienced the largest increase in employment followed by sales and service occupations (+3.7%), natural and applied sciences and related occupations (+8.5%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (+6.8%). Occupations in business, finance and administration (+14.0%) experienced the highest rate of employment growth in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the third quarter of 2020.
Geographic region
Ontario regions
The map shows Ontario’s five regions: Northern Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, Central Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area. This map is based on groupings of Statistics Canada’s economic regions.
Employment change by Ontario region
Year-over-year, employment increased in all Ontario regions in the third quarter of 2021, except for Northern Ontario (-0.7%). Southwestern Ontario experienced the highest rate of growth (+8.1%), followed by the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
Unemployment rates by Ontario region
The horizontal bar chart shows unemployment rates by Ontario region in the third quarter of 2021. The Greater Toronto Area had the highest unemployment rate (9.3%) followed by Southwestern Ontario (7.5%), Central Ontario (7.1%) and Northern Ontario (6.7%). Eastern Ontario (6.5%) had the lowest unemployment rate. The overall unemployment rate for Ontario was 8.1%.
In the third quarter of 2021, the unemployment rate decreased in every region. The GTA had the highest unemployment rate (9.3%), while Eastern Ontario had the lowest unemployment rate (6.5%).
Participation rates by Ontario region
The horizontal bar chart shows participation rates by Ontario region in the third quarter of 2021. The Greater Toronto Area had the highest participation rate at 68.6%, followed by Central Ontario (64.5%), Eastern Ontario (64.2%), Southwestern Ontario (63.0%) and Northern Ontario (58.6%). The overall participation rate for Ontario was 65.9%.
In the third quarter of 2021, the labour force participation rate varied among economic regions, ranging from 58.6% in Northern Ontario to 68.6% in the GTA.
Age and gender quarterly details
Employment change by age group and gender
The horizontal bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) change in Ontario’s employment for the three major age groups, as well as by gender, compared to the overall population. This is measured in thousands with percentage changes in brackets. Employment increased among workers in all age groups and for both males and females, with total employment increasing by 414,900 (+5.9%). Core-aged workers aged 25 to 54 posted the largest employment increase (+212,200, +4.6%), followed by youth aged 15 to 24 years (+147,100, +16.0%) and older workers aged 55 years and over (+55,500, +3.5%). Female employment increased by 225,500 (+6.8%) and male employment increased by 189,400 (+5.0%).
Compared to the same quarter last year, employment increased for all age groups in the third quarter of 2021. Youth aged 15 to 24 posted the highest rate of employment growth (+16.0%), followed by core-aged workers aged 25 to 54 (+4.6%) and older workers aged 55 years and over (+3.5%).
Year-over-year, employment increased more for females (+6.8%) than males (+5.0%).
Overall, employment losses during the COVID‑19 pandemic have been much more severe for youth and women as they were more likely to work in industries that were heavily impacted by the pandemic, such as accommodation and food services and retail trade.
As of September 2021, employment of core-aged people surpassed its pre-pandemic level in February 2020 (+1.0%), while employment of youth (-0.9%) and older workers (-1.8%) remained below its pre-pandemic level.
As of September 2021, employment for females (+0.6%) exceeded its pre-pandemic level in February 2020 while employment for men was still below its pre-pandemic level (-0.4%).
Unemployment rates by age group and gender
The horizontal bar chart shows unemployment rates in the third quarter of 2021 for Ontario as a whole, by major age group and by gender. Ontario’s overall unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2021 was 8.1%. Youth aged 15 to 24 years had the highest unemployment rate at 14.1%, followed by older Ontarians aged 55 years and over at 7.7% and the core-aged population aged 25 to 54 years at 6.8%. The female unemployment rate was 8.3% and the male unemployment rate was 7.9%.
In the third quarter of 2021, youth had the highest unemployment rate (14.1%), followed by older people (7.7%) and core-aged people (6.8%). Compared to the same period last year, the unemployment rate decreased by 12.0 percentage points for youth, 1.7 percentage points for core-aged people and stayed unchanged for older people.
In the third quarter of 2021, the unemployment rate for females (8.3%) was higher than that for males (7.9%). Compared to the same period last year, the unemployment rate decreased by 3.4 percentage points for females and 2.6 percentage points for males.
Participation rates by age group and gender
The horizontal bar chart shows labour force participation rates in the third quarter of 2021 for Ontario as a whole, by major age group and by gender. Ontario’s overall labour force participation rate was 65.9%. The core-aged population aged 25 to 54 years had the highest labour force participation rate at 87.2%, followed by youth aged 15 to 24 years at 66.9%, and older Ontarians aged 55 years and over at 38.3%. The male participation rate (70.9%) was higher than the female participation rate (61.2%).
In the third quarter of 2021, core-aged people had the highest labour force participation rate (87.2%), followed by youth (66.9%) and older people (38.3%). Compared to the third quarter of 2020, the participation rate increased by 0.5 percentage point for youth, 1.7 percentage points for core-aged people and 0.5 percentage point for older people.
Men had a higher participation rate (70.9%) than women (61.2%) in the third quarter of 2021. Compared to the same period last year, the participation rate increased by 0.7 percentage point for males and 1.2 percentage points for females.
Education level and immigrant status quarterly details
Employment rates by education level and immigrant status (core-aged population)
The horizontal bar chart shows employment rates by education level and immigrant status for the core-aged population (25 to 54 years), in the third quarter of 2021. By education level, those with a university degree had the highest employment rate (86.2%), followed by those with a postsecondary certificate/diploma (83.7%), those with a high school diploma (72.4%), and those with less than high school education (54.3%). By immigrant status, those born in Canada had the highest employment rate (83.2%), followed by established immigrants with more than 10 years since landing (79.0%), recent immigrants with more than 5 to 10 years since landing (76.8%), and very recent immigrants with 5 years or less since landing (76.6%).
In the third quarter of 2021, those with less than a high school diploma continued to have the lowest employment rate (54.3%), while those with a university degree recorded the highest employment rate (86.2%), followed by those with a postsecondary certificate or diploma (83.7%).
Year-over-year, the employment rate increased for most education levels, led by those with a university degree (+3.6 percentage points).
Those born in Canada had the highest employment rate (83.2%), while very recent immigrants continued to have the lowest employment rate (76.6%).
Year-over-year, the employment rate increased for all groups by immigrant status, led by very recent immigrants (+7.1 percentage points).
Unemployment rates by education level and immigrant status (core-aged population)
The horizontal bar chart shows unemployment rates by education level and immigrant status for the core-aged population (25 to 54 years), in the third quarter of 2021. By education level, those with less than high school education had the highest unemployment rate (14.8%), followed by those with high school education (9.2%), those with a postsecondary certificate or diploma (6.2%) and university degree holders (5.8%). By immigrant status, recent immigrants with more than 5 to 10 years since landing had the highest unemployment rate (8.5%), followed by established immigrants with more than 10 years since landing (8.1%), very recent immigrants with 5 years or less since landing (7.7%) and those born in Canada (6.1%).
In the third quarter of 2021, those with a university degree had the lowest unemployment rate (5.8%) while those with less than a high school diploma had the highest unemployment rate (14.8%). Year-over-year, the unemployment rate of core-aged people decreased for all education levels except for those with less than a high school diploma (+4.7 percentage points).
Year-over-year, the unemployment rate also decreased for all groups by immigrant status. In the third quarter of 2021, those born in Canada had the lowest unemployment rate (6.1%), while recent immigrants had the highest unemployment rate (8.5%).
Participation rates by education level and immigrant status (core-aged population)
The horizontal bar chart shows labour force participation rates by education level and immigrant status for the core-aged population (25 to 54 years), in the third quarter of 2021. By education level, university degree holders had the highest participation rate (91.4%), followed by postsecondary certificate or diploma holders (89.2%), high school graduates (79.7%), and those with less than high school education (63.7%). By immigrant status, those born in Canada had the highest participation rate (88.6%), followed by established immigrants with more than 10 years since landing (86.0%), recent immigrants with more than 5 to 10 years since landing (84.0%) and very recent immigrants with 5 years or less since landing (83.0%).
In the third quarter of 2021, those with a university degree continued to have the highest participation rate (91.4%), while those with less than a high school diploma had the lowest participation rate (63.7%). Year-over-year, the participation rate increased for all groups by education level.
In the third quarter of 2021, recent immigrants and very recent immigrants continued to have the lowest participation rates compared to established immigrants and those born in Canada. Year-over-year, the participation rate increased for all groups by immigrant status.
Wages quarterly details
Average hourly wages by employment status, 1997-2020
The line chart shows average hourly wages for all employees, full-time and part-time employees expressed in real 2020 dollars from 1997 to 2020. Real average hourly wages of all employees increased from $25.18 in 1997 to $30.24 in 2020; those of full-time employees increased from $27.03 in 1997 to $32.05 in 2020 and those of part-time employees increased from $17.09 in 1997 to $20.48 in 2020.
Over the last two decades, the average hourly wage increased in real terms
Hourly wage growth by type of work
The vertical bar chart shows a year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) per cent change in Ontario’s nominal hourly wages by type of work. The average hourly wage increased by 0.7%. Hourly wages increased for full-time workers (+1.5%) and decreased for part-time employees (-2.1%). The average hourly wage increased for permanent employees (+0.7%) and temporary employees (+3.8%). Average hourly wages increased for employees with union coverage (+0.5%) and those without union coverage (+1.1%). Inflation during the same period was 4.0%.
In the third quarter of 2021, the average hourly wage of Ontario employees was $30.55, an increase of 0.7% from the third quarter of 2020.
The average hourly wage for part-time positions decreased by 2.1%, while the average hourly wage for full-time workers increased by 1.5%.
Consumer Price Index inflation over the third quarter of 2021 compared to the third quarter of 2020 was 4.0%.
Average hourly wage rate and wage growth by occupational group
The horizontal bar chart shows average hourly wage rates in the third quarter of 2021 and year-over-year (between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021) per cent change in average hourly wage rate, by occupational group. In the third quarter of 2021, the average hourly wage rate for Ontario was $30.55 (+0.7%). The highest average hourly wage rate was for management occupations at $51.72 (+5.3%); followed by natural and applied sciences and related occupations at $40.38 (+1.3%); and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services at $37.36 (-1.3%). The lowest average hourly wage rate was for sales and service occupations at $19.70 (-1.5%).
Year-over-year, six broad occupational groups experienced growth in average hourly wages, while the remaining four experienced a decrease in average hourly wages. Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport (+8.1%), management (+5.3%) and trades, transport and equipment operators (+3.0%) experienced the largest increase in average hourly wages. The three broad occupational groups that experienced the largest decrease in average hourly wages were manufacturing and utilities (-2.5%), health (-2.3%) and sales and service (-1.5%).
Appendix I
Net employment between February 2020 and September 2021
Below are highlights (seasonally adjusted) of recent trends in Ontario’s labour market between February 2020 and September 2021.
The horizontal bar chart shows seasonally adjusted changes in employment and unemployment rate between February 2020 and September 2021. Employment increased (+8,600, +0.1%), including an increase in full-time employment (+28,200, +0.5%) and a decrease in part-time employment (-19,500, -1.4%), employment increase in services-producing industries (+53,000, +0.9%), as well as a decline in goods-producing industries (-44,300, -3.0%). Unemployment rate increased by 1.8 percentage points.
Appendix II
Overview of annual employment ten-year review
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Labour Force (000) | 7,207.3 | 7,238.7 | 7,325.1 | 7,345.3 | 7,343.0 | 7,408.9 | 7,506.5 | 7,608.9 | 7,816.3 | 7,766.0 |
| Participation Rate (%) | 66.5 | 66.0 | 66.1 | 65.7 | 65.1 | 64.9 | 64.7 | 64.3 | 64.9 | 63.6 |
| Male Participation Rate (%) | 71.1 | 70.7 | 70.5 | 70.2 | 70.0 | 69.6 | 69.3 | 68.8 | 69.5 | 68.4 |
| Female Participation Rate (%) | 62.0 | 61.5 | 61.9 | 61.3 | 60.5 | 60.4 | 60.2 | 60.1 | 60.4 | 58.9 |
| Total Employment (000) | 6,638.2 | 6,666.7 | 6,768.1 | 6,809.1 | 6,845.4 | 6,921.4 | 7,052.5 | 7,173.3 | 7,376.9 | 7,021.6 |
| - Full-time (000) | 5,360.4 | 5,389.0 | 5,449.1 | 5,486.6 | 5,557.4 | 5,610.5 | 5,713.2 | 5,845.7 | 6,000.3 | 5,797.4 |
| - Part-time (000) | 1,277.8 | 1,277.7 | 1,318.9 | 1,322.5 | 1,288.0 | 1,310.9 | 1,339.3 | 1,327.6 | 1,376.6 | 1,224.3 |
| Employment-Population Ratio (%) | 61.2 | 60.8 | 61.1 | 60.9 | 60.7 | 60.6 | 60.8 | 60.6 | 61.2 | 57.5 |
| Male Employment (000) | 3,449.1 | 3,470.1 | 3,508.9 | 3,549.1 | 3,583.9 | 3,622.6 | 3,692.1 | 3,760.6 | 3,874.7 | 3,722.1 |
| Female Employment (000) | 3,189.1 | 3,196.6 | 3,259.1 | 3,260.1 | 3,261.4 | 3,298.8 | 3,360.4 | 3,412.7 | 3,502.2 | 3,299.6 |
| Part-Time (% of total) | 19.2 | 19.2 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 18.8 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 18.5 | 18.7 | 17.4 |
| Goods-Producing Sector Employment (000) | 1,397.4 | 1,406.8 | 1,381.0 | 1,366.4 | 1,393.8 | 1,425.1 | 1,439.4 | 1,463.9 | 1,467.3 | 1,410.7 |
| Services-Producing Sector Employment (000) | 5,240.8 | 5,259.9 | 5,387.1 | 5,442.7 | 5,451.6 | 5,496.3 | 5,613.1 | 5,709.5 | 5,909.7 | 5,610.9 |
| Private Sector Employment (000) | 4,331.1 | 4,347.1 | 4,405.3 | 4,473.5 | 4,505.5 | 4,544.1 | 4,640.1 | 4,716.7 | 4,830.6 | 4,542.0 |
| Public Sector Employment (000) | 1,303.1 | 1,289.5 | 1,310.0 | 1,298.1 | 1,281.2 | 1,293.7 | 1,318.8 | 1,359.7 | 1,375.4 | 1,358.8 |
| Self-Employment (% of total) | 15.1 | 15.4 | 15.6 | 15.2 | 15.5 | 15.7 | 15.5 | 15.3 | 15.9 | 16.0 |
| Total Unemployment (000) | 569.1 | 572.0 | 557.1 | 536.1 | 497.6 | 487.5 | 454.0 | 435.5 | 439.4 | 744.4 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 9.6 |
| Male Unemployment Rate (%) | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 9.2 |
| Female Unemployment Rate (%) | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 10.0 |
| Long-Term (27 wks+) (% of total) | 24.3 | 22.8 | 23.1 | 22.9 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 19.5 | 16.9 | 15.0 | 14.7 |
| Average Unemployment in Weeks | 22.5 | 22.3 | 21.9 | 22.5 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 19.3 | 17.2 | 15.8 | 15.3 |
| Youth Unemployment Rate (%) | 15.5 | 16.6 | 15.9 | 15.2 | 14.3 | 13.7 | 12.2 | 11.8 | 12.0 | 22.0 |
| 25-54 y.o. Unemployment rate (%) | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 7.7 |
| 55+ y.o. Unemployment rate (%) | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 7.0 |
| Average Weekly Wage Rate ($) | 862.69 | 883.62 | 869.44 | 907.05 | 938.01 | 958.16 | 965.71 | 998.41 | 1,033.38 | 1,113.99 |
| Average Hourly Wage Rate ($) | 23.56 | 24.10 | 24.50 | 24.81 | 25.58 | 26.13 | 26.38 | 27.28 | 28.26 | 30.24 |
Employment by region (000)
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Toronto Area | 3,074.9 | 3,099.6 | 3,214.9 | 3,202.7 | 3,264.8 | 3,303.9 | 3,363.5 | 3,432.8 | 3,548.3 | 3,381.8 |
| Central | 1,542.0 | 1,537.2 | 1,542.4 | 1,577.6 | 1,582.3 | 1,589.7 | 1,653.6 | 1,659.8 | 1,696.3 | 1,616.5 |
| Southwestern | 767.7 | 768.0 | 764.0 | 771.5 | 769.7 | 779.9 | 785.8 | 808.4 | 810.6 | 771.4 |
| Eastern | 893.9 | 904.1 | 890.7 | 899.4 | 881.5 | 898.2 | 898.5 | 915.1 | 964.5 | 908.5 |
| Northern | 359.7 | 357.8 | 356.1 | 358.0 | 347.1 | 349.7 | 351.0 | 357.3 | 357.2 | 343.3 |
Unemployment rate by region (%)
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Toronto Area | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 10.7 |
| Central | 7.5 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 8.8 |
| Southwestern | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 9.0 |
| Eastern | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 7.7 |
| Northern | 7.8 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 7.8 |
Total employment by CMA (000)
Greater Toronto Area
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 2,916.7 | 2,942.9 | 3,061.1 | 3,043.4 | 3,114.1 | 3,140.1 | 3,206.7 | 3,262.4 | 3,385.7 | 3,221.8 |
| Oshawa | 188.1 | 188.3 | 191.5 | 197.3 | 191.4 | 208.3 | 204.6 | 214.6 | 213.0 | 205.5 |
Central Ontario
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 373.2 | 373.7 | 369.9 | 376.9 | 377.4 | 377.3 | 408.3 | 403.0 | 411.2 | 384.9 |
| Kitchener | 280.2 | 279.0 | 284.4 | 288.9 | 288.1 | 291.7 | 301.6 | 309.4 | 322,7 | 306.2 |
| St. Catharines-Niagara | 195.0 | 200.0 | 192.2 | 194.3 | 204.4 | 204.9 | 200.8 | 205.7 | 204.3 | 190.6 |
| Peterborough | 57.3 | 58.1 | 54.2 | 59.1 | 59.8 | 58.6 | 61.3 | 64.6 | 62.0 | 53.6 |
| Brantford | 68.3 | 67.1 | 68.3 | 68.1 | 69.0 | 70.0 | 71.9 | 69.6 | 78.1 | 71.9 |
| Guelph | 81.9 | 83.6 | 78.7 | 80.5 | 89.3 | 90.1 | 90.5 | 88.2 | 91.1 | 85.1 |
| Barrie | 101.0 | 101.3 | 107.8 | 109.3 | 105.7 | 101.8 | 113.0 | 112.2 | 116.9 | 117.6 |
Eastern Ontario
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 525.0 | 540.4 | 524.7 | 532.4 | 528.6 | 542.5 | 547.9 | 558.4 | 588.0 | 557.1 |
| Kingston | 78.7 | 79.2 | 80.2 | 78.5 | 79.5 | 80.3 | 84.0 | 82.9 | 83.7 | 80.0 |
| Belleville | 59.7 | 52.9 | 39.5 | 34.4 | 31.9 | 33.7 | 40.0 | 41.3 | 51.7 | 49.3 |
Southwestern Ontario
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 236.3 | 240.0 | 236.2 | 238.0 | 247.5 | 242.8 | 244.3 | 254.0 | 253.8 | 257.2 |
| Windsor | 147.2 | 152.1 | 154.4 | 154.8 | 156.5 | 162.5 | 161.2 | 164.1 | 170.9 | 152.2 |
Northern Ontario
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudbury | 82.7 | 81.7 | 84.0 | 83.4 | 82.1 | 82.8 | 81.7 | 83.0 | 86.9 | 81.1 |
| Thunder Bay | 60.1 | 61.5 | 62.5 | 61.3 | 59.3 | 60.0 | 61.5 | 64.3 | 62.7 | 59.0 |
Overview of quarterly employment year-over-year
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Labour Force (000) | 7,839.5 | 7,913.7 | 7,729.1 | 7,817.6 | 7,469.6 | 7,992.8 | 7,951.7 | 8,145.4 |
| Participation Rate (%) | 64.6 | 64.5 | 63.5 | 63.6 | 61.2 | 64.9 | 65.0 | 65.9 |
| Male Participation Rate (%) | 68.9 | 69.1 | 67.9 | 68.4 | 66.3 | 69.9 | 70.2 | 70.9 |
| Female Participation Rate (%) | 60.5 | 60.1 | 59.2 | 59.0 | 56.3 | 60.1 | 60.0 | 61.2 |
| Total Employment (000) | 7,459.6 | 7,236.4 | 7,246.6 | 7,105.6 | 6,533.5 | 7,273.4 | 7,070.2 | 7,485.0 |
| - Full-time (000) | 6,027.2 | 5,904.2 | 5,898.8 | 5,883.9 | 5,526.0 | 6,030.8 | 5,860.4 | 6,193.0 |
| - Part-time (000) | 1,432.4 | 1,332.2 | 1,347.8 | 1,221.8 | 1,007.4 | 1,242.6 | 1,209.7 | 1,292.1 |
| Employment-Population Ratio (%) | 61.5 | 59.0 | 59.5 | 57.8 | 53.6 | 59.0 | 57.8 | 60.6 |
| Male Employment (000) | 3,896.1 | 3,812.8 | 3,802.5 | 3,742.0 | 3,504.2 | 3,850.5 | 3,768.7 | 3,958.1 |
| Female Employment (000) | 3,563.5 | 3,423.5 | 3,444.1 | 3,363.6 | 3,029.3 | 3,422.9 | 3,301.4 | 3,526.9 |
| Part-Time (% of total) | 19.2 | 18.4 | 18.6 | 17.2 | 15.4 | 17.1 | 17.1 | 17.3 |
| Goods-Producing Sector Employment (000) | 1,468.3 | 1,476.9 | 1,418.3 | 1,423.9 | 1,296.7 | 1,462.8 | 1,451.0 | 1,497.5 |
| Services-Producing Sector Employment (000) | 5,991.3 | 5,759.5 | 5,828.3 | 5,681.7 | 5,236.8 | 5,810.5 | 5,619.1 | 5,987.6 |
| Private Sector Employment (000) | 4,846.1 | 4,735.8 | 4,687.1 | 4,596.9 | 4,085.5 | 4,698.9 | 4,659.8 | 4,939.6 |
| Public Sector Employment (000) | 1,424.3 | 1,399.9 | 1,406.2 | 1,434.8 | 1,316.4 | 1,440.9 | 1,312.7 | 1,434.6 |
| Self-Employment (% of total) | 15.9 | 15.2 | 15.9 | 15.1 | 17.3 | 15.6 | 15.5 | 14.8 |
| Total Unemployment (000) | 379.9 | 677.3 | 482.5 | 712.0 | 936.1 | 719.4 | 881.5 | 660.4 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.8 | 8.6 | 6.2 | 9.1 | 12.5 | 9.0 | 11.1 | 8.1 |
| Male Unemployment Rate (%) | 5.1 | 8.3 | 6.3 | 9.3 | 11.8 | 8.9 | 10.6 | 7.9 |
| Female Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.6 | 8.8 | 6.2 | 8.9 | 13.4 | 9.1 | 11.7 | 8.3 |
| Long-Term (27 wks+) (% of total) | 16.3 | 29.2 | 13.7 | 29.1 | 6.8 | 29.6 | 12.5 | 25.9 |
| Average Unemployment in Weeks | 17.6 | 20.1 | 15.1 | 21.8 | 11.8 | 23.2 | 15.6 | 24.0 |
| Youth Unemployment Rate (%) | 10.5 | 19.3 | 12.4 | 19.1 | 29.6 | 20.4 | 26.1 | 14.1 |
| 25-54 y.o. Unemployment rate (%) | 4.1 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 7.7 | 10.1 | 6.9 | 8.5 | 6.8 |
| 55+ y.o. Unemployment rate (%) | 3.5 | 6.6 | 4.7 | 7.5 | 9.1 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Average Weekly Wage Rate ($) | 1,045.21 | 1,109.06 | 1,072.65 | 1,135.33 | 1,157.31 | 1,134.02 | 1,122.04 | 1,128.59 |
| Average Hourly Wage Rate ($) | 28.67 | 30.21 | 29.35 | 30.89 | 31.17 | 30.83 | 30.33 | 30.55 |
Employment by Region (000)
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Toronto Area (GTA) | 3,578.2 | 3,504.0 | 3,500.2 | 3,390.9 | 3,117.1 | 3,457.8 | 3,405.9 | 3,633.2 |
| Central | 1,720.0 | 1,667.6 | 1,669.2 | 1,637.5 | 1,503.0 | 1,689.4 | 1,626.2 | 1,706.1 |
| Southwestern | 824.8 | 795.2 | 798.4 | 802.4 | 717.7 | 826.5 | 774.7 | 837.8 |
| Eastern | 981.8 | 924.1 | 930.1 | 937.9 | 866.2 | 957.2 | 913.7 | 960.9 |
| Northern | 354.7 | 345.5 | 348.6 | 336.9 | 329.4 | 342.4 | 349.6 | 347.0 |
Unemployment Rate by Region (%)
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Toronto Area (GTA) | 5.1 | 10.1 | 6.2 | 10.1 | 13.7 | 10.0 | 13.1 | 9.3 |
| Central | 4.8 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 9.0 | 12.1 | 7.9 | 9.6 | 7.1 |
| Southwestern | 4.7 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 12.4 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 7.5 |
| Eastern | 4.1 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 8.3 | 8.8 | 6.5 |
| Northern | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 8.0 | 10.3 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 6.7 |
Total Employment by CMA (000)
Greater Toronto Area
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 3,428.0 | 3,347.4 | 3,351.8 | 3,236.4 | 2,954.3 | 3,303.6 | 3,233.7 | 3,476.2 |
| Oshawa | 204.2 | 210.4 | 208.5 | 203.0 | 195.0 | 204.6 | 208.2 | 210.2 |
Central Ontario
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 425.6 | 397.4 | 405.2 | 400.7 | 357.9 | 402.8 | 379.1 | 412.3 |
| Kitchener | 325.9 | 313.2 | 325.5 | 310.2 | 283.9 | 319.1 | 302.1 | 322.1 |
| St. Catharines-Niagara | 211.6 | 198.6 | 192.8 | 181.6 | 174.3 | 190.0 | 196.8 | 213.2 |
| Peterborough | 60.3 | 55.5 | 54.6 | 58.6 | 51.3 | 65.9 | 53.1 | 64.7 |
| Brantford | 77.0 | 74.7 | 70.7 | 73.9 | 68.2 | 73.6 | 74.1 | 74.9 |
| Guelph | 87.5 | 86.5 | 85.9 | 87.0 | 80.6 | 90.2 | 87.2 | 95.2 |
| Barrie | 122.5 | 112.2 | 122.5 | 107.1 | 113.9 | 113.0 | 121.8 | 120.5 |
Eastern Ontario
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa (Ontario part) | 611.4 | 561.1 | 571.4 | 581.7 | 532.9 | 601.5 | 563.0 | 591.9 |
| Kingston | 81.7 | 83.4 | 80.5 | 82.8 | 75.2 | 79.2 | 80.8 | 80.7 |
| Belleville | 53.1 | 53.1 | 53.5 | 52.6 | 43.9 | 43.2 | 46.8 | 50.5 |
Southwestern Ontario
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 265.2 | 264.2 | 265.2 | 273.0 | 237.7 | 281.7 | 261.7 | 284.9 |
| Windsor | 167.9 | 152.8 | 159.8 | 159.4 | 139.5 | 164.5 | 156.6 | 166.0 |
Northern Ontario
| 2019q4 | 2020q4 | 2020q1 | 2021q1 | 2020q2 | 2021q2 | 2020q3 | 2021q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudbury | 86.8 | 81.9 | 84.3 | 79.0 | 76.6 | 82.1 | 81.6 | 81.9 |
| Thunder Bay | 63.5 | 60.5 | 61.0 | 57.8 | 54.7 | 61.3 | 59.9 | 62.2 |
Overview of monthly* labour force characteristics
| Feb-20 | Mar-20 | Apr-20 | May-20 | Jun-20 | Jul-20 | Aug-20 | Sep-20 | Oct-20 | Nov-20 | Dec-20 | Jan-21 | Feb-21 | Mar-21 | Apr-21 | May-21 | Jun-21 | Jul-21 | Aug-21 | Sep-21 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 7,491.1 | 7,098.2 | 6,409.9 | 6,356.4 | 6,725.6 | 6,884.5 | 7,006.8 | 7,168.9 | 7,200.6 | 7,238.3 | 7,239.0 | 7,085.5 | 7,185.8 | 7,368.1 | 7,215.4 | 7,183.8 | 7,300.7 | 7,373.1 | 7,426.1 | 7,499.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5 | 7.4 | 11.3 | 13.5 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 10.2 | 9.2 | 7.5 | 9.0 | 9.3 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.3 |
| Participation rate | 65.1 | 62.9 | 59.2 | 60.2 | 62.8 | 63.5 | 64.1 | 64.7 | 65.1 | 65.0 | 65.3 | 64.2 | 64.4 | 64.7 | 64.4 | 64.3 | 64.7 | 65.0 | 65.0 | 65.4 |
*Seasonally adjusted
Note: All estimates in this appendix are based on Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey.
Footnotes
- footnote[1] Back to paragraph The Roadmap to Reopen is the Province’s three-step plan to safely and gradually lift public health measures based on ongoing progress of provincewide vaccination rates and improvements of key public health and health care indicators.
- footnote[2] Back to paragraph This economic region closely matches the GTA, the main exception being that it excludes the city of Burlington.
- footnote[3] Back to paragraph Real wages are based on nominal wages deflated by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items. Self-employment is excluded.
- footnote[4] Back to paragraph Year-over-year comparison (between third quarters of 2020 and 2021) is in nominal dollars.
- footnote[5] Back to paragraph Measured as an increase in the all-items Consumer Price Index for Ontario between July and September of 2020 and July and September of 2021.