Labour market report, October 2022

Quick facts

In October 2022:

• There were 12.6 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.2 million (64.9%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased in October (55,000 or 0.7%) compared to September.
  • 7.7 million (61.1%) were employed, up by 42,700 (0.6%) from September.
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 5.9% in October from 5.8% in September and 478,600 people were unemployed, up 12,300 (2.6%) from September.

Employment increased in October

Employment in Ontario increased in October by 42,700 (0.6%) to 7,679,000, after decreasing by 31,500 (-0.4%) in September. This was the first month with an increase in provincial employment following fourth consecutive months with a decline.

Employment in Canada rose by 108,300 (0.6%) in October, after increasing by 21,100 (0.1%) in September. A total of 19,656,200 people were employed in Canada in October.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Part-time employment accounted for most of October’s job gains, increasing by 37,400 (2.8%) positions. Full-time employment increased by 5,300 (0.1%) in October.

Employment change by sex and age

Employment increased by 18,600 (0.5%) to 3,620,700 for women in October after decreasing by 30,100 (−0.8%) in September. Employment increased by 24,100 (0.6%) for men, after being little changed (−1,300 or 0.0%) in September. Total male employment was 4,058,400 in October.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment increased by 11,700 (1.2%) to 1,015,400 in October, after decreasing by 14,600 (−1.4%) in September. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 30,000 (0.6%) to 5,000,400, after declining by 6,700 (−0.1%) in September. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 1,100 (0.1%) to 1,663,300, following a decrease of 10,200 (−0.6%) in September.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in October included wholesale and retail trade (1,091,300 or 14.2% of total employment), health care and social assistance (925,500 or 12.1%), professional, scientific and technical services (794,900 or 10.4%), manufacturing (768,500 or 10.0%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (666,400 or 8.7%).

Twelve of the sixteen major industry groups recorded job gains in October. Accommodation and food services (12,900 or 3.3%), professional, scientific and technical services (11,700 or 1.5%), educational services (9,100 or 1.6%) and other services, except public administration (8,100 or 3.2%) led job gains.

Employment declined in four of the sixteen major industry groups in October. There were notable employment losses in wholesale and retail trade (−12,200 or −1.1%) and information, culture and recreation (−8,400 or −2.6%).

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

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in October included sales and service (1,666,700 or 21.7% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,292,800 or 16.8%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,001,600 or 13.0%), management (819,500 or 10.7%) and natural and applied sciences (756,200 or 9.8%).

Nine of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first ten months of 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021. Management (99,500 or 14.6%), sales and service (81,600 or 5.2%), natural and applied sciences (65,800 or 9.1%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (29,100 or 3.5%) led job gains.

Employment losses were recorded in art, culture, recreation and sport (−6,000 or −2.7%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In October 2022, employment in fifteen of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was at or above its October 2021 level, led by Ottawa-Gatineau (37,000 or 4.9%) and followed by Toronto (29,000 or 0.8%), Belleville (11,500 or 24.0%), Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (9,900 or 3.1%), Oshawa (9,700 or 4.5%) and Kingston (9,600 or 11.8%).

Employment losses were recorded in Thunder Bay (−1,300 or −2.1%).

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

Unemployment rate increased to 5.9%

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

Ontario’s unemployment rate was 5.9% in October, up from 5.8% in September. This was the fourth consecutive month with an increase in the provincial unemployment rate. The unemployment rate has seen steady increases since falling to 5.1% in June. However, October’s unemployment rate was still below the rate from October 2021 (7.2%).

Canada’s unemployment rate remained stable at 5.2% in October, which was also below the rate from a year ago (6.8%). 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 increased to 6.3% in October from 5.9% in September. The rate for men declined to 5.5% in October, down from 5.6% in September.

For individuals aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate rose to 12.9% in October from 11.5% in September. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 decreased to 4.6% in October from 4.9% in September. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 5.0%, up from 4.6% in September.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 7.0% in October compared to a 4.9% 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 7.4% in October compared to a 5.6% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The Indigenous population includes First Nations people living off reserve (8.0%) and individuals who identify as Métis (6.5%) (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 October, the average unemployment rate increased from September in eleven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Guelph (3.9% in September to 5.0% in October), Brantford (4.1% to 4.8%) and Greater Sudbury (4.3% to 4.7%).

Five CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased from September to October, led by Peterborough (5.5% in September to 4.8% in October) and Belleville (6.5% to 5.9%).

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

Long-term unemployment

In October, an estimated 82,800 Ontarians or 17.3% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 79,000 Ontarians or 16.9% of all unemployed people in September and 162,600 or 27.8% of all unemployed people a year earlier in October 2021. The long-term unemployed share rose by 0.4 percentage points in October after decreasing by 2.5 percentage points in September.

The average time in unemployment was 17.7 weeks in October, below the average in September (18.6 weeks) and well below the average in October 2021 (24.1 weeks).

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

Spotlight: Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $32.85 in October, above the average rate across Canada ($31.94). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in October rose by 6.4% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.99 from $30.86 in October 2021), compared with 5.7% in September.

October’s wage growth (6.4%) was lower than the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index as of September (6.7%). 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 October 2022.

The average hourly wage rate was $30.73 for women in October, rising by 5.5% ($1.59) from $29.14 a year ago. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $34.88, an increase of 7.2% ($2.34) from $32.54 in October 2021.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $19.72 in October, an increase of 6.0% ($1.12) from $18.60 in October 2021. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $35.55 in October, up 7.0% ($2.32) from $33.23 a year ago. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 3.7% ($1.18) to $33.37 in October from $32.19 a year earlier.

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

1. Accommodation and food services: +18.0% ($3.07) to $20.13
2. Professional, scientific and technical services: +12.1% ($4.66) to $43.24
3. Other services (except public administration): +9.2% ($2.46) to $29.31

Only two industries experienced a decrease in their average hourly wage rate in October compared to a year ago:

1. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: −1.9% (−$0.78) to $39.62
2. Utilities: −1.1% (−$0.54) to $47.96

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

October 2022 Labour Market Report:

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

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