Labour market report, May 2025

Quick facts

In May 2025:

• There were 13.7 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older:
  • 8.9 million (65.0%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 19,600 (0.2%) in May compared to April.
  • 8.2 million (59.9%) were employed, little changed from April (3,400 or 0.0%).
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 7.9% in May from 7.8% in April and 706,800 people were unemployed, up by 16,100 (2.3%) from April.

Employment little changed in May

Employment in Ontario was little changed in May (3,400 or 0.0%), after decreasing by 34,600 (-0.4%) in April. A total of 8,198,600 people were employed in Ontario in May.

Employment in Canada was little changed in May (8,800 or 0.0%), after little change in April (7,400 or 0.0%). A total of 20,978,100 people were employed in Canada in May.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2016 to May 2025.

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 24,600 (0.4%) in May, while part-time employment decreased by 21,100 (-1.4%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men decreased by 6,300 (-0.1%) in May, after decreasing by 6,800 (-0.2%) in April. Total male employment was 4,337,100 in May. Employment for women increased by 9,700 (0.3%) in May, after decreasing by 27,700 (-0.7%) in April. Total female employment was 3,861,600 in May.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 2,700 (-0.3%) in May for a total of 1,059,600, after decreasing by 3,200 (-0.3%) in April. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 15,300 (0.3%) in May to 5,434,300, after increasing by 43,000 (-0.8%) in April. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 9,300 (-0.5%) in May to 1,704,700, after increasing by 11,700 (0.7%) in April.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in May were wholesale and retail trade (1,155,900 or 14.1% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,014,400 or 12.4%), professional, scientific and technical services (909,200 or 11.1%) and manufacturing (807,900 or 9.9%).

Public administration (-16,600 or -3.4%), accommodation and food services (-9,200 or -2.1%) and construction (-7,500 or -1.3%) led job losses in May.

Notable job gains in May included wholesale and retail trade (28,600 or 2.5%), business, building and other support services (9,400 or 3.4%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (7,800 or 1.1%).

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, April 2025 to May 2025.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in May were sales and service (1,794,500 or 21.7% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,359,500 or 16.4%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,101,300 or 13.3%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (961,900 or 11.6%).

Five of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first five months of 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024. Health occupations (70,500 or 12.2%) led job gains, followed by sales and service occupations (63,000 or 3.8%) and occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport (39,200 or 17.2%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in trades, transport and equipment operators (-38,700 or -3.5%), management occupations (-23,200 or -2.6%) and occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-21,100 or -5.5%).

No employment change was recorded for occupations in education, law and social, community and government services.

Chart 3 shows occupations by annual employment change in Ontario, May 2024 to May 2025.

Employment change in urban centres

In May 2025, employment in eleven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their May 2024 level, led by Toronto (67,600 or 1.8%) and followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (24,000 or 2.8%), St. Catharines-Niagara (19,500 or 8.5%) and Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge (13,300 or 3.5%).

Notable employment losses in May were recorded in Guelph (-8,000 or -7.5%), Oshawa (-6,000 or -2.4%) and Windsor (-2,100 or -0.9%).

Chart 4 shows employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from May 2024 to May 2025.

Unemployment rate increased to 7.9%

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 7.9% in May from 7.8% in April. The provincial unemployment rate has increased significantly since falling to a near-record low in April 2023 (5.0%).

The Canadian unemployment rate increased to 7.0% in May from 6.9% in April. The national unemployment rate has increased significantly since March 2023 (5.0%).

Chart 5 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2016 to May 2025.

Unemployment rate by sex, age, visible minority status, immigrant status and Indigenous group

The unemployment rate for women increased to 7.6% in May from 7.5% in April. The rate for men increased to 8.3% in May from 8.0% in April.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate decreased to 15.5% in May from 15.8% in April. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 increased to 7.0% in May from 6.8% in April. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older rose to 5.7% in May from 5.3% in April.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 10.0% in May compared to a 6.4% rate for those who are not visible minorities and did not identify as Indigenous (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

The unemployment rate for landed immigrants was 8.3% in May compared to a 7.3% rate for the Canadian-born population in Ontario. The unemployment rate for landed immigrants includes the rates for very recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed less than 5 years earlier) (12.4%), recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 5 to 10 years earlier) (10.3%) and established immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 10 years earlier) (6.7%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 9.8% in May compared to a 8.0% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rates for First Nations people living off reserve (11.4%) and individuals who identify as Métis (7.0%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In May, the average unemployment rate increased from April in thirteen of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Belleville (1.9% in April to 4.1% in May), Oshawa (8.5% to 9.1%), London (6.4% to 6.9%) and Peterborough (10.8% to 11.2%).

Three CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in May, led by Guelph (5.5% in April to 4.9% in May), Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge (7.8% to 7.3%) and Hamilton (7.0% to 6.7%).

Chart 6 shows the average unemployment rate for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in May 2025.

Long-term unemployment

In May, an estimated 170,400 Ontarians or 24.1% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 172,700 Ontarians or 25.0% of all unemployed people in April and 114,200 or 19.3% of all unemployed people a year earlier in May 2024.

The average time in unemployment was 25.2 weeks in May, above the average in April (23.5 weeks) and well above the average in May 2024 (19.2 weeks).

Chart 7 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2016 to May 2025.

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $37.44 in May, above the average rate across Canada ($36.14). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in May rose by 5.0% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.79 from $35.63 in May 2024) which was above the 4.3% increase from April.

May’s wage growth (5.0%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of April (1.6%). The CPI is a measure of inflation that represents changes in prices for goods and services as experienced by consumers.

Chart 8 shows the year-over-year percentage change in Ontario’s average hourly wage rate and the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), January 2016 to May 2025.

The average hourly wage rate was $35.37 for women in May, rising by 7.0% ($2.32) from $33.05 in May 2024. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $39.40, an increase of 3.3% ($1.27) from $38.13 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $21.62 in May, an increase of 0.6% ($0.13) from $21.49 in May 2024. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $40.35 in May, up 5.2% ($1.99) from $38.36 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 6.8% ($2.52) to $39.52 in May from $37.00 a year earlier.

In May, the industries with the largest increases in average hourly wage rates compared to a year earlier were:

1. Information, culture and recreation: +18.6% ($5.77) to $36.75
2. Business, building and other support services: +15.5% ($3.96) to $29.58
3. Agriculture: +12.6% ($2.88) to $25.76

Only one industry experienced a decrease in their average hourly wage rate in May compared to a year earlier:

1. Wholesale and retail trade: -0.1% (-$0.03) to $28.06

Changes in average hourly wages by industry are the result of multiple factors, including wage growth and shifts in the composition of employment by job tenure and occupation.

Download data

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

May 2025 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2016 to May 2025, 1Kb
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, April 2025 to May 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from May 2024 to May 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from May 2024 to May 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2016 to May 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), May 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2016 to May 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 8, year-over-year percentage change in Ontario’s average hourly wage rate and the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), January 2016 to May 2025, 2Kb

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