Labour market report, November 2024

Quick facts

In November 2024:

• There were 13.5 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.8 million (65.0%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 66,700 (0.8%) in November compared to October.
  • 8.1 million (60.0%) were employed, little changed from October (-5,700 or -0.1%).
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 7.6% in November from 6.8% in October and 668,000 people were unemployed, up by 72,400 (12.2%) from October.

Employment little changed in November

Employment in Ontario was little changed in November (-5,700 or -0.1%), after little change in October (-10,900 or -0.1%). A total of 8,095,400 people were employed in Ontario in November.

Employment in Canada increased by 50,500 (0.2%) in November, after little change in October (14,500 or 0.1%). A total of 20,647,400 people were employed in Canada in November.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2015 to November 2024.

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment decreased by 9,900 (-0.1%) in November, while part-time employment increased by 4,100 (0.3%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men increased by 1,500 (0.0%) in November, after decreasing by 5,300 (-0.1%) in October. Total male employment was 4,265,600 in November. Employment for women decreased by 7,300 (-0.2%) in November, after decreasing by 5,500 (-0.1%) in October. Total female employment was 3,829,800 in November.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 6,900 (-0.6%) in November for a total of 1,081,500, after increasing by 20,900 (2.0%) in October. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 11,800 (0.2%) in November to 5,308,200, after decreasing by 49,500 (-0.9%) in October. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 10,700 (-0.6%) in November to 1,705,600, after increasing by 17,600 (1.0%) in October.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in November were wholesale and retail trade (1,121,900 or 13.9% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,009,000 or 12.5%), professional, scientific and technical services (910,700 or 11.2%), manufacturing (780,200 or 9.6%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (711,100 or 8.8%).

Educational services (15,400 or 2.6%), wholesale and retail trade (14,000 or 1.3%) and information, culture and recreation (8,300 or 2.5%) led job gains in November.

Notable employment losses occurred in manufacturing (-20,400 or -2.5%), business, building and other support services (-9,600 or -3.2%) and transportation and warehousing (-6,500 or -1.6%) in November.

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, October 2024 to November 2024.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in November were sales and service (1,653,700 or 20.4% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,357,500 or 16.8%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,111,300 or 13.7%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (974,000 or 12.0%).

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first eleven months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023. Management occupations (57,100 or 6.9%) led job gains, followed by natural and applied sciences and related occupations (44,500 or 5.9%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (44,400 or 5.0%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in business, finance and administration occupations (-20,200 or -1.5%) and sales and service occupations (-13,900 or -0.8%).

Chart 3 shows occupations by annual employment change in Ontario, November 2023 to November 2024.

Employment change in urban centres

In November 2024, employment in ten of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their November 2023 level, led by Toronto (75,300 or 2.0%) and followed by Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge (20,300 or 5.9%), Windsor (11,900 or 6.5%) and Ottawa-Gatineau (7,000 or 0.8%).

Notable employment losses in November were recorded in Belleville (-14,900 or -28.3%), Peterborough (-6,500 or -9.1%) and Guelph (-6,100 or -6.0%).

Chart 4 shows employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from November 2023 to November 2024.

Unemployment rate increased to 7.6%

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 7.6% in November from 6.8% in October. The provincial unemployment rate reached its highest mark since August 2021 (7.4%) in November.

The Canadian unemployment rate increased to 6.8% in November from 6.5% in October. The national unemployment rate has increased significantly since April 2023 (5.1%).

Chart 5 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2015 to November 2024.

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

The unemployment rate for women increased to 7.3% in November from 6.4% in October. The rate for men was 7.9% in November, up from 7.2% in October.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate increased to 17.0% in November from 14.0% in October. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to 6.3% in November from 6.1% in October. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 4.9% in November from 4.3% in October.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 9.2% in November compared to a 5.2% 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 7.4% in November compared to a 5.8% 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 5 less years earlier) (10.5%), recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 5 to 10 years earlier) (9.0%) and established immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 10 years earlier) (6.3%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 10.4% in November compared to a 6.7% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rates for First Nations people living off reserve (14.2%) and individuals who identify as Métis (5.5%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In November, the average unemployment rate increased from October in six of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Guelph (5.3% in October to 6.0% in November), Hamilton (6.2% to 6.8%) and Thunder Bay (5.0% to 5.3%).

Nine CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in November, led by Belleville (3.2% in October to 1.8% in November), Brantford (6.5% to 5.7%) and Greater Sudbury (5.9% to 5.5%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in St. Catharines-Niagara (6.7%) in November.

Chart 6 shows the average unemployment rate for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in November 2024.

Long-term unemployment

In November, an estimated 173,400 Ontarians or 26.0% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 146,500 Ontarians or 24.6% of all unemployed people in October and 93,500 or 18.2% of all unemployed people a year earlier in November 2023.

The average time in unemployment was 21.5 weeks in November, below the average in October (22.4 weeks) but well above the average in November 2023 (18.2 weeks).

Chart 7 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2015 to November 2024.

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $37.41 in November, above the average rate across Canada ($35.68). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in November rose by 5.5% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.94 from $35.47 in November 2023) which was below the 6.2% increase in October.

November’s wage growth (5.5%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of October (2.0%). 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 2015 to November 2024.

The average hourly wage rate was $34.55 for women in November, rising by 5.3% ($1.75) from $32.80 in November 2023. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $40.18, an increase of 5.5% ($2.10) from $38.08 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $21.82 in November, an increase of 6.0% ($1.23) from $20.59 in November 2023. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $40.35 in November, up 6.1% ($2.33) from $38.02 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 4.0% ($1.49) to $38.96 in November from $37.47 a year earlier.

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

1. Utilities: +16.5% ($8.74) to $61.86
2. Transportation and warehousing: +11.4% ($3.66) to $35.64
3. Other services (except public administration): +9.7% ($2.86) to $32.24

Only two industries experienced a decrease in their average hourly wage rates in November compared to a year earlier:

1. Agriculture: -7.1% (-$1.89) to $24.66
2. Business, building and other support services: -4.7% (-$1.35) to $27.39

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 2024 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2015 to November 2024, 1Kb
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, October 2024 to November 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from November 2023 to November 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from October 2024 to November 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2015 to November 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), November 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2015 to November 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 8, year-over-year percentage change in Ontario’s average hourly wage rate and the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), January 2015 to November 2024, 2Kb