Quick facts

In September 2019:

  • There were 12.2 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
    • 7.9 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 5.3% (422,600 unemployed people)

Employment increased in September

Employment in Ontario increased by 41,100 in September after increasing by 57,800 jobs in August.  This was the largest back-to-back monthly gain on record (98,900).

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

Line graph for chart 1 shows employment in Ontario increasing from 6,843,000 in January 2014 to 7,519,200 in September 2019.

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

Download data, chart 1 (CSV)

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment climbed by 36,200 while part-time employment rose by 4,900.

Employment increase/decrease by age

Youth employment (those aged 15 to 24) decreased by 10,800 in September, after increasing by 27,700 jobs in August.

Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 42,900 in September, compared to August. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 9,100 jobs.

Employment in Canada increased by 53,700 in September, after increasing by 81,100 jobs in August.

Unemployment rate decreased to 5.3%

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

Line graph for chart 2 showing information as described below.

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

Download data, chart 2 (CSV)

Ontario’s unemployment rate decreased to 5.3% in September from 5.6% in August, the lowest recorded unemployment rate since May 2019 (5.2%). Ontario’s unemployment rate has remained at or below 6.0% since September 2017.

Canada’s unemployment rate decreased to 5.5% in September from 5.7% in August.

Unemployment rate by age

For people aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate was 12.7% in September, up from 12.2% in August.

The unemployment rates for people aged 25 to 54 decreased to 4.1% in September from 4.7% in August and decreased to 4.0% from 4.1% 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, September 2019.

Bar graph for chart 3 showing information described below.

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 (CSV)

London recorded the highest unemployment rate in Ontario in September (6.5%), while Saint John, New Brunswick recorded the highest unemployment rate in Canada (7.9%).

Brantford recorded the lowest unemployment rate in Ontario in September (3.6%), while Québec City recorded the lowest unemployment rate in Canada (3.0%).

Year-over-year comparisons

Over the first nine months of 2019, employment in Ontario increased by 179,000 net jobs for adults 25 years and older compared to the first nine 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, September 2018 year-to-date to September 2019 year-to-date.

Bar graph for chart 4 shows information described below.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0019-01, unadjusted data

Download data, chart 4 (CSV)

Adults with a university degree led gains with 137,800 net new jobs, followed by those with a postsecondary certificate or diploma (68,300).

Individuals with some postsecondary education recorded job losses of 43,400.

People with less than high school education also recorded job losses (7,500), while those with high school education recorded job gains of 23,800.

Unemployment rate by education level

The unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and older with postsecondary education credentials was 4.2% in the first nine months of 2019, down from 4.3% a year earlier.

The unemployment rate for adults without postsecondary education credentials was 6.0%, up from 5.9% a year ago.

Employment increase and decrease by occupation

Chart 5 shows Ontario employment change by occupation, September 2018 year-to-date to September 2019 year-to-date.

Bar graph for chart 5 shows information as described below.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0297-01, unadjusted data.

Download data, chart 5 (CSV)

Eight of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains over the first nine 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 (47,200)
  • trades, transport and equipment operators (45,400)
  • natural and applied sciences and related (44,900)

These occupations lost jobs:

  • manufacturing and utilities (18,000)
  • natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (600)

Long-term unemployment decreased

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

Bar graph for chart 6 shows information as described below.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0056-01, unadjusted data.

Download data, chart 6 (CSV)

Over the first nine months of 2019, an average of 67,100 people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, or long-term unemployed. This was down from 75,300 a year earlier.

Long-term unemployed individuals accounted for 14.7% of the total number of unemployed people in the first nine months of 2019. This compared with 16.8% a year earlier.

Average time in long-term unemployment

The average time in unemployment decreased to 15.4 weeks over the first nine months of 2019, down from 17.2 weeks a year earlier.

Download data

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

September 2019 Labour Market Report:

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