Quick facts

In February 2019:

  • There were 12.0 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
    • 7.8 million (65%) were either working or actively looking for work
    • 7.4 million (61%) were employed and 82% of them had a full-time job
  • Ontario’s unemployment rate was 5.7% (442,200 unemployed people)

Employment increased in February

Employment in Ontario increased in February (36,900), after rising by 41,400 jobs in January. This was the largest back-to-back gain since June and July of 2017.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2014 to February 2019.

Line graph for chart 1 shows employment in Ontario increasing from 6,843,000 in January 2014 to 7,378,800 in February 2019.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0019-01, (seasonally adjusted data).

Download data, chart 1

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased (59,200), while part-time jobs declined (22,300).

Employment increase/decrease by age

Youth employment (those aged 15 to 24) increased in February (21,200), after rising by 27,900 jobs in January.

Employment for people aged 25 to 54 rose by 19,800 in February, compared to January. Those aged 55 and older lost 4,000 jobs.

Employment in Canada increased in February (55,900), following an increase of 66,800 jobs in January.

Unemployment rate remained at 5.7%

Chart 2 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2014 to February 2019.

Line graph for Chart 2.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0019-01, (seasonally adjusted data).

Download data, chart 2

Ontario’s unemployment rate remained at 5.7% in February compared to January.

Ontario’s unemployment rate has remained below 6.0% since August 2017.

Canada’s unemployment rate remained at 5.8% in February compared to January.

Unemployment rate by age

For people aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate was 11.9% in February, down from 12.3% in January.

The unemployment rates for people aged 25 to 54 fell to 4.7% in February from 4.9% in January and increased to 4.2% from 4.1% for those aged 55 and older.

Lowest and highest unemployment rates

Chart 3 shows Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) with highest and lowest unemployment rates in Canada, February 2019.

Bar graph for chart 3.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0294-01, (seasonally adjusted data three-month moving average to reduce volatility caused by small sample size).

Download data, chart 3

St. Catharines-Niagara recorded the highest unemployment rate in Ontario (6.8%) in February, while Calgary, Alberta recorded the highest unemployment rate in Canada (7.6%).

Guelph recorded the lowest unemployment rate in Canada in February (1.7%).

Year-over-year comparisons

Over the first two months of 2019, employment in Ontario increased by 172,100 net jobs for adults 25 years and older compared to the first two months of 2018.

Employment increase and decrease by education level

Chart 4 shows Ontario employment change by highest level of education attained, aged 25 and older, February 2018 year-to-date to February 2019 year-to-date.

Bar graph for chart 4.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0019-01, unadjusted data

Download data, chart 4

Adults with a postsecondary certificate or diploma led gains with 123,500 net new jobs, while those with a university degree gained 66,300 jobs.

Individuals with some postsecondary education recorded job losses of 56,500.

People with less than high school education also recorded job losses (14,100), while those with high school education recorded job gains of 53,000.

Unemployment rate by education level

The unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and older with postsecondary education credentials was 4.2% in the first two months of 2019, up from 4.0% a year earlier.

The unemployment rate for adults without postsecondary education credentials was unchanged in the first two months of 2019 compared to a year ago (6.3%).

Employment increase and decrease by occupation

Chart 5 shows Ontario employment change by occupation, February 2018 year-to-date to February 2019 year-to-date

Bar graph for chart 5.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0297-01, unadjusted data.

Download data, chart 5

Eight of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in over the first two months of 2019 compared to a year earlier.

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

These occupations gained the most jobs:

  • trade, transport and equipment operator (58,300)
  • sales and service (54,100)
  • business, finance and administration (38,800)

These occupations lost jobs:

  • management (50,900)
  • manufacturing and utilities (14,600)

Long-term unemployment increased

Chart 6 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, February 2011 year-to-date to February 2019 year-to-date

Bar graph for chart 6.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0056-01, unadjusted data.

Download data, chart 6

Over the first two months of 2019, an average of 72,000 people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, or long-term unemployed. This was up from 65,800 a year earlier.

Long-term unemployed individuals accounted for 16.2% of the total number of unemployed people in the first two months of 2019. This compared with 15.7% a year earlier.

Average time in long-term unemployment

The average time in unemployment decreased to 16.3 weeks in over the first two months of 2019 from 17.7 weeks a year earlier.

Download data

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

February 2019 Labour Market Report: