Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, November 2024
Released: 2025-01-30
$1,285.91
November 2024
5.0% 
(12-month change)
$1,273.60
November 2024
5.2%
(12-month change)
$1,093.98
November 2024
6.5%
(12-month change)
$1,151.32
November 2024
5.2%
(12-month change)
$1,162.33
November 2024
3.9%
(12-month change)
$1,229.18
November 2024
3.8%
(12-month change)
$1,329.43
November 2024
7.1%
(12-month change)
$1,151.58
November 2024
1.0%
(12-month change)
$1,232.50
November 2024
5.4%
(12-month change)
$1,344.47
November 2024
3.4%
(12-month change)
$1,290.38
November 2024
4.5%
(12-month change)
$1,471.77
November 2024
4.9%
(12-month change)
$1,988.54
November 2024
26.8%
(12-month change)
$1,763.69
November 2024
7.9%
(12-month change)
The number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as "payroll employment" in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—decreased by 56,100 (-0.3%) in November, following three consecutive months of little change. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up 142,900 (+0.8%) in November.
The postal service industry group, which is part of the transportation and warehousing sector, recorded a decline of 38,200 (-48.7%) in November, associated with the strike action that began during the month. In accordance with the "payroll employment" concept of the survey, persons who are on strike for the entire survey reference week are excluded from the payroll employment count for the month. Excluding the decline in this industry group, the overall decrease in national payroll employment was 17,900 (-0.1%) in November.
Chart 1
Payroll employment declines in November, following three months of little change
In addition to the decline in transportation and warehousing (-36,900; -4.3%), six other sectors recorded payroll employment decreases in November, including retail trade (-6,100; -0.3%), administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (-3,300; -0.4%) and other services (except public administration) (-2,300; -0.4%). These declines were partially offset by gains in accommodation and food services (+5,000; +0.4%), health care and social assistance (+2,900; +0.1%) and management of companies and enterprises (+1,400; +1.2%). The remaining 10 sectors were little changed.
Meanwhile, job vacancies were little changed in November, at 518,200, following a decrease of 14,300 (-2.7%) in October and little change in September.
Chart 2
Payroll employment decreases in seven sectors and increases in three others in November
Strike action impacts on the transportation and warehousing sector in November 2024
In November 2024, a number of unions across Canada began strike action. This included multiple unions representing workers at the Vancouver and Montréal ports and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). While most labour disputes occurred during the first two weeks of November, CUPW, a union representing nearly 55,000 postal workers across Canada, began strike action on November 15.
In accordance with the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH) concepts, outlined in the Guide to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours, the definition of "payroll employment" excludes persons who are on strike for the entirety of the SEPH reference week. The reference week for SEPH estimates is the last seven days of the reference month. As a result, the postal service industry group, which is part of the transportation and warehousing sector, recorded a decline in payroll employment in November. This change is expected to be temporary, as strike action has since subsided.
The strike action affecting the Vancouver and Montréal ports occurred prior to the SEPH reference week and did not impact the SEPH estimates.
Payroll employment in retail trade continues downward trend since January 2024
Payroll employment in retail trade fell by 6,100 (-0.3%) in November, following little change in October and a decrease of 8,400 (-0.4%) in September. Payroll employment in this sector has generally trended down since January 2024, with a net loss of 30,600 (-1.5%) over the period.
In November, the monthly decline in the sector was led by clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage and leather goods retailers (-2,200; -1.1%) and general merchandise retailers (-1,500; -0.6%). These two subsectors accounted for 23.3% of overall payroll employment in the retail trade sector in November.
Payroll employment trends down in administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
Payroll employment in administrative and support, waste management and remediation services decreased by 3,300 (-0.4%) in November, following two months of little change. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in this sector was down 19,700 (-2.4%) in November.
The largest contributor to the sector's year-over-year decline in November was employment services (-11,500; -5.8%). This industry group includes establishments primarily engaged in placing applicants in employment and helping employers find workers to address temporary workforce needs.
Accommodation and food services records an increase in payroll employment
In November, payroll employment in accommodation and food services rose by 5,000 (+0.4%), following little change in October and a decline of 8,400 (-0.6%) in September. The November increase was the largest monthly gain since April 2023.
Year over year, payroll employment was down slightly in accommodation and food services (-1,400; -0.1%) in November 2024. A year-over-year decrease in full-service restaurants and limited-service eating places (-5,600; -0.6%) was moderated by an increase in special food services (+4,500; +6.3%), including food service contractors, caterers and mobile food services.
Payroll employment in health care and social assistance increases in November
Payroll employment in health care and social assistance increased by 2,900 (+0.1%) in November, following a gain of 6,000 (+0.2%) in October. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in the sector was up 76,200 (+3.3%) in November.
The monthly gains in November were concentrated in nursing care facilities (+2,000; +0.8%) and general medical and surgical hospitals (+1,900; +0.3%). Together, these two industry groups accounted for over one-third (37.2%) of total payroll employment in health care and social assistance in November.
Average weekly earnings continue to increase on a yearly basis
On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings were up 5.0% to $1,286 in November, following a 5.2% increase in October. In general, growth in average weekly earnings can reflect a range of factors, including changes in wages, composition of employment, hours worked and base-year effects.
Month over month, average weekly earnings were little changed in November, following a 0.5% increase in October.
In November, average weekly hours worked (33.5 hours) were little changed both on a month-over-month and year-over-year basis.
Job vacancies little changed in November
Job vacancies were little changed in November, at 518,200, following a decrease of 14,300 (-2.7%) in October and little change in September. On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies were down by 153,600 (-22.9%) in November.
The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—was 2.9% in November, unchanged from the previous month and down by 0.9 percentage points from November 2023 (3.8%).
There were 2.9 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in November 2024, up from 2.8 in the previous month. This increase was driven by the increase in unemployment (+87,300; +6.1%), measured by the Labour Force Survey, as the number of vacancies was little changed in November. Year over year, the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio rose from 1.9 to 2.9.
Infographic 1
Unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio continues upward trend, as unemployment increases
Job vacancies rise in two sectors and fall in two sectors
While overall job vacancies were little changed in November, job vacancies rose in the finance and insurance (+7,700; +46.6%) and manufacturing (+4,000; +12.8%) sectors. These increases were partly offset by decreases in the utilities (-700; -30.8%) and public administration (-1,900; -13.0%) sectors. In the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey, public administration includes local, municipal, regional and Indigenous public administration and excludes federal, provincial and territorial public administration. Job vacancies were little changed in the remaining sectors.
Job vacancies in finance and insurance increased by 7,700 (+46.6%) to 24,300 in November, offsetting the cumulative decrease (-7,100; -29.9%) observed from August to October 2024. Vacancies in the sector were virtually unchanged in November on a year-over-year basis.
In manufacturing, job vacancies increased by 4,000 (+12.8%) to 35,000 in November, offsetting the decline recorded in the previous month (-4,400; -12.4%). The number of vacancies in the sector was down by 9,000 (-20.5%) compared with November 2023 and down by 52,200 (-59.9%) compared with the peak in April 2022 (87,200).
In November 2024, health care and social assistance (4.6%) continued to have the highest job vacancy rate among all sectors, followed by accommodation and food services (4.3%).
Job vacancies fall in 15 of 20 sectors on a year-over-year basis
In November, there were fewer vacancies in 15 sectors compared with one year earlier. The largest declines were recorded in accommodation and food services (-29,100; -33.3%), retail trade (-29,000; -41.5%) and construction (-19,000; -32.5%). Over the same period, job vacancies were little changed in finance and insurance, in real estate and rental and leasing, in educational services and in public administration.
Among all sectors, the largest year-over-year drop in the job vacancy rate in November was in accommodation and food services (-2.0 percentage points from 6.3% to 4.3%), followed by construction (-1.5 percentage points from 4.7% to 3.2%).
Chart 3
Largest yearly job vacancy declines in accommodation and food services and retail trade in November
Job vacancies fall in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and rise in Newfoundland and Labrador
In November, the number of vacant positions decreased in Saskatchewan (-2,800 to 15,000) and Manitoba (-3,100 to 18,600), while it increased in Newfoundland and Labrador (+1,200 to 5,300). Job vacancies were little changed in the remaining seven provinces.
On a year-over-year basis, the job vacancy rate was down in eight provinces in November, with the largest declines being recorded in Saskatchewan (-1.7 percentage points to 2.9%), Alberta (-1.0 percentage point to 3.0%) and Manitoba (-0.9 percentage points to 3.0%). Over the same period, the job vacancy rate was little changed in Prince Edward Island (3.1%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (2.5%).
British Columbia continued to have the highest job vacancy rate (3.6%) in November, along with the lowest unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio (1.9). At the same time, Newfoundland and Labrador continued to have the lowest job vacancy rate (2.5%) and the highest unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio (5.5).
Map 1
Job vacancy rate and year-over-year job vacancy rate percentage point change by province, November 2024
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Sustainable Development Goals
On January 1, 2016, the world officially began implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the United Nations' transformative plan of action that addresses urgent global challenges over the next 15 years. The plan is based on 17 specific sustainable development goals.
The Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours is an example of how Statistics Canada supports the reporting on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. This release will be used in helping to measure the following goals:
Note to readers
Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours
The key objective of the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH) is to provide a monthly portrait of the level of earnings, employment and hours worked, by detailed industry, at the national, provincial and territorial levels.
Payroll employment, as measured by the SEPH, refers to the number of employees receiving pay and benefits (employment income) during a given month. The survey excludes the self-employed, owners and partners of unincorporated businesses and professional practices, and employees in the agricultural sector.
SEPH estimates are produced by integrating information from three sources: a census of approximately 1 million payroll deduction records provided by the Canada Revenue Agency; the Business Payrolls Survey, which collects data from a sample of 15,000 establishments; and administrative records of federal, provincial and territorial public administration employment, provided by these levels of government.
Estimates of average weekly earnings and hours worked are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. This analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 68% confidence level. Payroll employment estimates are based on a census of administrative data and are not subject to sampling variability.
With each release of SEPH data, data for the preceding month are revised. Users are encouraged to use the most up-to-date data available for each month.
Statistics Canada also produces employment estimates from its Labour Force Survey (LFS). The LFS is a monthly household survey, the main objective of which is to divide the working-age population into three mutually exclusive groups: the employed (including the self-employed), the unemployed and those not in the labour force. This survey is the official source for the unemployment rate, and it collects data on the sociodemographic characteristics of all persons in the labour market.
Employment trends from the SEPH and from the LFS generally track each other closely, especially over longer periods of time. That said, because of differences in concepts, definitions and methodologies, variations in employment levels in SEPH and in the LFS may differ, especially over shorter periods. For a more in-depth discussion of the conceptual differences between employment measures from the LFS and the SEPH, refer to Section 8 of the Guide to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (72-203-G).
The SEPH and LFS both also provide monthly indicators of pay received by employees. Used together, average weekly earnings (from SEPH) and average hourly wages (from the LFS) can provide a comprehensive portrait of pay dynamics in Canada. For information on definitions for each indicator, key conceptual and measurement differences, and guidance to data users on when to use each indicator, refer to the report: "Earnings and Wages – A guide to using indicators from the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours and the Labour Force Survey."
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data, which facilitate comparisons because the effects of seasonal variations are removed. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
Non-farm payroll employment data are for all hourly and salaried employees and for the "other employees" category, which includes piece-rate and commission-only employees.
Unless otherwise specified, average weekly hours data are for hourly and salaried employees only and exclude businesses that could not be classified to a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2022 version 1.0 code.
All earnings data include overtime and exclude businesses that could not be classified to a NAICS code. Earnings data are based on gross taxable payroll before source deductions. Average weekly earnings are derived by dividing total weekly earnings by the number of employees. Changes in average weekly earnings can reflect a range of factors, including changes in wages, composition of employment, hours worked and base-year effects.
Base-year effect refers to the impact that trends from 12 months earlier (base month) have on the current month's estimate of year-over-year change. In the case of SEPH, when the average weekly earnings in the base month is at the peak of a short-term trend, this tends to have a downward effect on year-over-year average weekly earnings growth in the current month. In contrast, if the value of the base month is at a low point of a trend, this tends to have an upward effect on the current month's year-over-year growth in average weekly earnings.
Job Vacancy and Wage Survey
Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS) collection is done on a quarterly basis. The quarterly sample of business locations is allocated to the three collection months of the quarter, approximately balanced by province and by industrial sector across each of the three months. This allows both quarterly and monthly estimates to be produced.
Preliminary monthly estimates are produced for job vacancies, job vacancy rates and payroll employment using available responses from business locations sampled in the corresponding reference month. The reference period for the JVWS is the first day of the respective month. This analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 68% confidence level.
These preliminary monthly estimates are revised and finalized when the corresponding quarterly estimates are released or shortly thereafter. Users are encouraged to use the most up-to-date data available for each month.
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data, which facilitate comparisons because the effects of seasonal variations are removed. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
While JVWS employment is calibrated to the SEPH, SEPH payroll employment and JVWS preliminary monthly employment figures may differ because of calibration grouping and differences in scope and reference period.
The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio excludes the territories for consistency with the geographic coverage of the available LFS data (table 14-10-0287-01).
The JVWS also provides comprehensive quarterly data on job vacancies by industrial sector and detailed occupation for Canada and the provinces, territories and economic regions; offered hourly wages; and job vacancy characteristics. More information about the concepts and use of data from the JVWS is available in the Guide to the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (75-514-G).
Real-time data tables
Tables 14-10-0357-01 and 14-10-0358-01 have now been archived.
Real-time data tables 14-10-0331-01 and 14-10-0332-01 will be updated on February 17, 2025.
Next release
December 2024 data for SEPH and JVWS will be released on February 27, 2025.
Products
More information about the concepts and use of the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours is available in the Guide to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (72-203-G).
The product "Earnings and payroll employment in brief: Interactive app" (14200001) is now available. This interactive data visualization application provides a comprehensive picture of the Canadian labour market using the most recent data from the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours. The estimates are seasonally adjusted and available by province and largest industrial sector. Historical estimates that go back 10 years are also included. The interactive application allows users to explore and personalize the information presented quickly and easily. Combine multiple provinces and industrial sectors to create your own labour market domains of interest.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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