Quick facts

In November 2019:

  • There were 12.2 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
    • 8.0 million (65%) were either working or actively looking for work
    • 7.5 million (62%) were employed and 81% of them had a full-time job
  • Ontario's unemployment rate was 5.6% (441,900 unemployed people)

Employment increased in November

Employment in Ontario increased by 15,400 in November after decreasing by 16,200 jobs in October.  

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

Line graph for chart 1 shows employment in Ontario increasing from 6,843,000 in January 2014 to 7,518,400 in November 2019.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0287-01, (seasonally adjusted data).
Download data, chart 1

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 30,900 while part-time employment fell by 15,500.   

Employment increase/decrease by age

Youth employment (those aged 15 to 24) increased by 5,900 in November, after decreasing by 5,400 jobs in October.

Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 12,100 in November, compared to October. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 2,600 jobs.

Employment in Canada declined by 71,200 in November, after remaining unchanged in October.

Unemployment rate increased to 5.6%

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

Line graph for Chart 2.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0287-01, (seasonally adjusted data).
Download data, chart 2

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 5.6% in November from 5.3% in October, as more people were looking for work. Ontario’s unemployment rate has remained at or below 6.0% since October 2017.

Canada’s unemployment rate increased to 5.9% in November, up from 5.5% in October.

Unemployment rate by age

For people aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate was 12.5% in November, up from 12.2% in October.

The unemployment rate for people aged 25 to 54 increased to 4.7% in November from 4.4% in October and decreased to 3.6% from 3.8% 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, November 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
 

Windsor recorded the highest unemployment rate in Ontario in November (7.0%), while Saint John, New Brunswick recorded the highest unemployment rate in Canada (8.2%).

Brantford recorded the lowest unemployment rate in Canada in November (3.1%).
 

Year-over-year comparisons

Over the first eleven months of 2019, employment in Ontario increased by 181,200 net jobs for adults 25 years and older compared to the first eleven 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, November 2018 year-to-date to November 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 university degree led gains with 142,400 net new jobs, followed by those with a postsecondary certificate or diploma, which includes trades-related credentials (67,500).

Individuals with some postsecondary education recorded job losses of 43,100.

People with less than high school education also recorded job losses (3,400), while those with high school education recorded job gains of 17,800.

Unemployment rate by education level

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

The unemployment rate for adults without postsecondary education credentials was 5.9%, up from 5.7% a year ago.

Employment increase and decrease by occupation

Chart 5 shows Ontario employment change by occupation, November 2018 year-to-date to November 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 over the first eleven months of 2019 compared to a year earlier.

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

These occupations gained the most jobs:

  • sales and service (50,300)
  • natural and applied sciences and related (43,500)
  • trades, transport and equipment operators (43,400)

These occupations lost jobs:

  • manufacturing and utilities (14,000)
  • natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (1,600)

Long-term unemployment decreased

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

Bar graph for chart 6.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 14-10-0342-01, unadjusted data.
Download data, chart 6
 

Over the first eleven months of 2019, an average of 67,300 people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, or long-term unemployed. This was down from 73,600 a year earlier.

Long-term unemployed individuals accounted for 15.1% of the total number of unemployed people in the first eleven months of 2019. This compared with 16.8% a year earlier.

Average time in long-term unemployment

The average time in unemployment decreased to 15.9 weeks over the first eleven months of 2019, down from 17.2 weeks a year earlier.

Download data

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

November 2019 Labour Market Report: 

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