Quick facts

In August 2017:

  • there were 11.7 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 7.6 million (65%) were either working or actively looking for work
  • 7.1 million (61%) were employed and 80% of them had a full time job.
  • Ontario’s unemployment rate was 5.7% (428,300 unemployed people)

Employment increased in August

Employment in Ontario increased by 31,100 jobs in August, following an increase of 25,500 jobs in July.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2012 to August 2017.

Line graph in chart 1 shows employment in Ontario increased from 6,669,800 in January 2012 to 7,137,400 in August 2017.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 282-0087, (seasonally adjusted data).

Download data from Chart 1

Full-time vs. part-time

There were 57,500 new part-time jobs in August. Full-time employment decreased by 26,300.

Employment increase/decrease by age

Youth employment (those aged 15 to 24) increased by 8,000 jobs in August, following an increase of 8,600 jobs in July.

People aged 25 to 54 had job gains of 2,400, while those 55 and older gained 20,600 jobs.

Employment in Canada rose by 22,200 jobs in August. This follows little change (10,300 net new jobs) the previous month.

Unemployment rate declined to 5.7%

Chart 2 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2012 to August 2017.

Line graph for Chart 2.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 282-0087, (seasonally adjusted data).

Download data from Chart 2

Decline in unemployment rate for youth

The unemployment rate for youth (those aged 15 to 24) declined to 10.6% in August from 11.9% in July.

Unemployment rate for adults

The unemployment rate for people aged 25 to 54 decreased to 5.1% in August from 5.4% in July. For those 55 and older, the unemployment rate fell to 4.0% from 4.7%.

Ontario’s unemployment rate declined to 5.7% in August from 6.1% in July.

Canada’s unemployment rate decreased to 6.2% in August from 6.3% in July.

Lowest and highest unemployment rates

Chart 3 shows Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) with highest and lowest unemployment rates in Canada, August 2017.

Bar graph for chart 3.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 282-0135, (seasonally adjusted data to reduce volatility caused by small sample size).

Download data from Chart 3

Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo recorded the lowest unemployment rate (4.4%) in Ontario, and the second-lowest rate in Canada in August. Quebec City had the lowest rate (3.8%) in Canada.

Peterborough, Ontario had the highest unemployment rate in August in Ontario (8.3%), and the fourth highest rate in Canada.

Year-over-year comparisons

In the first eight months of 2017, employment in Ontario increased by an estimated 94,500 jobs for adults 25 years and older compared to the first eight months of 2016.

Employment increase and decrease by education level

Chart 4 shows Ontario employment change by highest level of education attained, aged 25 and older, August 2016 and August 2017, year-to-date.

Bar graph for chart 4.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 282-0003, unadjusted data.

Download data from Chart 4

People with a high school level education gained the most jobs, with 97,900 net new jobs.

Those with a university degree had job gains of 39,600, while those with a postsecondary education (PSE) certificate or diploma lost 3,900 jobs.

People with less than high school education had job losses of 10,100 and those with some PSE had job losses of 28,900.

Unemployment rate by education level

The unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and older with PSE credentials was 4.5% over the first eight months of 2017, down from 4.9% a year earlier.

The unemployment rate for adults without PSE credentials was 6.9%, down from 7.2% a year earlier.

Employment increase and decrease by occupation

Chart 5 shows Ontario employment change by occupation, between August 2016 and August 2017, year-to-date.

Bar graph for chart 5.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 282-0041, unadjusted data.

Download data from Chart 5

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had employment growth over the first eight months of 2017 compared to a year earlier.

Learn more about the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system.

These occupations gained the most jobs:

  • Health (62,600)
  • Sales and service (39,300)
  • Management (25,900)

These occupations lost jobs:

  • Education, law and social, community and government services (60,300)
  • Business, finance and administration (18,300)
  • Natural resources, agriculture and related production (5,300) occupations

Long-term unemployment percentage increased

Chart 6 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percent of total unemployment, August 2009 to August 2017, year-to-date.

Bar graph for chart 6.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 282-0047, unadjusted data.

Download data from Chart 6

Over the first eight months of 2017, an estimated 92,400 people were unemployed for 27 weeks or more, or in long-term unemployment. This was down from 102,100 in the first eight months of 2016 and well above pre-recessionary levels.

Long-term unemployed individuals accounted for 19.1% of the total number of unemployed people in the first eight months of 2017. Compare this with 19.8% a year earlier and a long-term unemployment rate of 15.8% in the first eight months of 2009.

Average time in long-term unemployment

The average time in unemployment decreased to 19.1 weeks over the first eight months of 2017 from 20.0 weeks a year earlier.

Download data

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey
August 2017 Labour Market Report:

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