Labour market report, November 2022

Quick facts

In November 2022:

• There were 12.6 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.2 million (64.8%) were in the labour force. The labour force was little changed in November (−3,800 or 0.0%) compared to October.
  • 7.7 million (61.2%) were employed, up by 22,600 (0.3%) from October.
• Ontario's unemployment rate decreased to 5.5% in November from 5.9% in October and 452,100 people were unemployed, down 26,500 (−5.5%) from October.

Employment increased in November

Employment in Ontario increased in November by 22,600 (0.3%) to 7,701,600, after increasing by 42,700 (0.6%) in October. This was the second consecutive month with an increase in provincial employment following fourth consecutive months with a decline.

Employment in Canada was little changed in November (10,100 or 0.1%), after increasing by 108,300 (0.6%) in October. A total of 19,666,300 people were employed in Canada in November.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2005 to November 2022.

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment accounted for all of November’s job gains, increasing by 60,300 (1.0%) positions. Part-time employment decreased by 37,700 (−2.8%) in November.

Employment change by sex and age

Employment increased by 6,800 (0.2%) to 3,627,500 for women in November after increasing by 18,600 (0.5%) in October. Employment increased by 15,700 (0.4%) for men, after increasing by 24,100 (0.6%) in October. Total male employment was 4,074,100 in November.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 7,600 (−0.7%) to 1,007,800 in November, after increasing by 11,700 (1.2%) in October. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 27,600 (0.6%) to 5,028,000, after rising by 30,000 (0.6%) in October. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 2,400 (0.1%) to 1,665,700, following an increase of 1,100 (0.1%) in October.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in November included wholesale and retail trade (1,082,400 or 14.1% of total employment), health care and social assistance (935,300 or 12.1%), professional, scientific and technical services (790,400 or 10.3%), manufacturing (775,500 or 10.1%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (676,200 or 8.8%).

Ten of the sixteen major industry groups recorded job gains in November. Accommodation and food services (10,700 or 2.7%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (9,800 or 1.5%), health care and social assistance (9,800 or 1.1%) and educational services (9,200 or 1.6%) led job gains.

Employment declined in six of the sixteen major industry groups in November. There were notable employment losses in other services (except public administration) (−9,300 or −3.5%) and wholesale and retail trade (−8,900 or −0.8%).

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, October 2022 to November 2022.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in November included sales and service (1,629,500 or 21.1% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,330,700 or 17.2%), trades, transport and equipment operators (995,300 or 12.9%), occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (932,000 or 12.1%) and management (819,500 or 10.7%).

Nine of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first eleven months of 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021. Management (97,400 or 14.1%), sales and service (70,300 or 4.4%), natural and applied sciences (60,800 or 8.3%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (33,300 or 4.0%) led job gains.

Employment losses were recorded in art, culture, recreation and sport (−7,800 or −3.5%).

Chart 3 shows occupations by employment change in Ontario, November 2021 (year-to-date) to November 2022 (year-to-date).

Employment change in urban centres

In November 2022, employment in fourteen of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was at or above its November 2021 level, led by Ottawa-Gatineau (44,400 or 5.9%) and followed by Hamilton (9,200 or 2.2%), Kingston (8,600 or 10.6%), St. Catharines - Niagara (7,500 or 3.6%), Brantford (6,200 or 8.5%) and Belleville (5,800 or 11.9%).

Employment losses were recorded in Toronto (−10,000 or −0.3%) and Thunder Bay (−2,200 or −3.5%).

Chart 4 shows employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from November 2021 to November 2022.

Unemployment rate decreased to 5.5%

Chart 5 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2005 to November 2022.

Ontario’s unemployment rate was 5.5% in November, down from 5.9% in October. This was the first decline in the provincial unemployment rate since June, when it fell to 5.1%. November’s unemployment rate was below the rate from November 2021 (6.5%).

Canada’s unemployment rate was 5.1% in November, down from 5.2% in October and below the rate from a year ago (6.1%). The national unemployment rate reached a record low of 4.9% as recently as July.

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

The unemployment rate for women decreased to 5.9% in November from 6.3% in October. The rate for men declined to 5.2% in November, down from 5.5% in October.

For individuals aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate fell to 12.2% in November from 12.9% in October. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 decreased to 4.4% in November from 4.6% in October. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older decreased to 4.7%, down from 5.0% in October.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 6.5% in November compared to a 4.4% rate for those who are not visible minorities and did not identify as Indigenous (data are three-month moving averages for the population aged 15 years and over and are not adjusted for seasonality).

The unemployment rate for Ontario’s Indigenous population was estimated at 6.5% in November compared to a 5.1% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The Indigenous population includes First Nations people living off reserve (6.7%) and individuals who identify as Métis (6.4%) (data are three-month moving averages for the population aged 15 years and over and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In November, the average unemployment rate increased from October in seven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Brantford (4.8% in October to 5.2% in November), Ottawa-Gatineau (4.2% to 4.5%) and Kingston (5.4% to 5.7%).

Eight CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased from October to November, led by Peterborough (4.8% in October to 3.1% in November) and St. Catharines - Niagara (6.4% to 5.4%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Guelph (5.0%).

Chart 6 shows the average unemployment rate for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in November 2022.

Long-term unemployment

In November, an estimated 76,400 Ontarians or 16.9% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 82,800 Ontarians or 17.3% of all unemployed people in October and 528,800 or 26.1% of all unemployed people a year earlier in November 2021. The long-term unemployed share was equal to the share in September after increasing by 0.4 percentage points in October.

The average time in unemployment was 19.5 weeks in November, below the average in October (17.7 weeks) and well below the average in November 2021 (22.9 weeks).

Chart 7 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2006 to November 2022.

Spotlight: Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $33.02 in November, above the average rate across Canada ($32.11). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in November rose by 6.4% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.99 from $31.03 in November 2021), matching the 6.4% increase from October. This was the fourth consecutive month with average hourly wage growth above 5.0% on a year-over-year basis.

November’s wage growth (6.4%) was slightly below the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index as of October (6.5%). The Consumer Price Index (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 2015 to November 2022.

The average hourly wage rate was $31.03 for women in November, rising by 6.6% ($1.92) from $29.11 a year earlier. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $34.93, an increase of 6.0% ($1.98) from $32.95 in November 2021.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $19.99 in November, an increase of 7.2% ($1.34) from $18.65 in November 2021. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $35.60 in November, up 6.7% ($2.22) from $33.38 a year ago. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 4.3% ($1.39) to $33.82 in November from $32.43 a year earlier.

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

1. Accommodation and food services: +13.5% ($2.38) to $20.00
2. Professional, scientific and technical services: +9.6% ($3.79) to $43.17
3. Agriculture: +7.5% ($1.62) to $23.11

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

1. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: −0.1% (−$0.03) to $40.17

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

November 2022 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2005 to November 2022, 1KB
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, October 2022 to November 2022, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from November 2021 (year-to-date) to November 2022 (year-to-date), 2KB
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from November 2021 to November 2022, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2005 to November 2022, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), November 2022 1KB
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2006 to November 2022, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 8, average hourly wage rates for employees, Ontario and Canada, January 2015 to November 2022, 2KB

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