Hours worked and labour productivity in the provinces and territories (preliminary), 2019
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Released: 2020-08-18
$56.60 per hour
2019
0.4% 
(annual change)
$83.30 per hour
2019
3.5%
(annual change)
$38.90 per hour
2019
2.6%
(annual change)
$40.20 per hour
2019
2.6%
(annual change)
$43.50 per hour
2019
1.9%
(annual change)
$50.20 per hour
2019
2.9%
(annual change)
$52.40 per hour
2019
-0.6% 
(annual change)
$53.30 per hour
2019
0.4%
(annual change)
$82.70 per hour
2019
-2.7%
(annual change)
$78.50 per hour
2019
0.1%
(annual change)
$53.80 per hour
2019
0.7%
(annual change)
$63.10 per hour
2019
-2.2%
(annual change)
$108.30 per hour
2019
-13.6%
(annual change)
$98.20 per hour
2019
-0.6%
(annual change)
Estimates for 2019 as well as revised 2017 and 2018 estimates on provincial and territorial labour productivity and related measures are now available. Additionally, with this release, estimates for a small number of industries by province and territory have been revised historically back to 1997; resulting revisions to growth rates are small.
These data are consistent with those incorporated in the provincial and territorial gross domestic product (GDP) by industry for 2019 (released on June 1, 2020). They are also consistent with those incorporated in the national GDP by income and expenditure (released on May 29, 2020) and the national GDP by industry (released on July 31, 2020). This release also takes into account historical revisions to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (released on March 27, 2020).
Statistics Canada is closely monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 (also known as the novel coronavirus) and will continue to report on the provincial and territorial labour productivity and related measures as new information becomes available.
Business productivity rose in eight provinces in 2019. Moreover, in the four Atlantic provinces and Quebec, productivity grew at a faster pace than in 2018. All three territories saw a decline in their productivity. Nationally, business productivity was up 0.4%, after posting a 0.2% increase the previous year.
Among the provinces and territories, the largest growth in productivity occurred in Newfoundland and Labrador (+3.5%), followed by Quebec (+2.9%), Prince Edward Island (+2.6%), Nova Scotia (+2.6%) and New Brunswick (+1.9%). British Columbia (+0.7%) also posted productivity growth above the Canadian average, while Manitoba (+0.4%) was similar to the national average. Productivity in Alberta (+0.1%) was essentially unchanged. In Ontario (-0.6%) and Saskatchewan (-2.7%), productivity declined in 2019.
Real GDP of businesses rose in eight provinces and Nunavut in 2019. It decreased in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. During this time, hours worked in the business sector increased in eight of the provinces and territories. The largest increases in hours worked were in Nunavut (+8.4%), Prince Edward Island (+2.6%) and Ontario (+2.5%), while the largest decline was in the Northwest Territories (-2.0%). Hours worked in Nova Scotia (-0.2%), Quebec (-0.1%), and Manitoba (+0.2%) were little changed. At the national level, hours worked rose 1.0% following a 1.8% increase in 2018.
Note to readers
Provincial and territorial measures of labour productivity and related variables are consistent with the concepts of the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts and with the Input-Output Industry Codes.
For the purposes of this analysis, as in the national labour productivity releases, productivity and related measures cover the business sector only. It is important to note that real output (used to measure productivity) is based on the value added measured at basic prices, not market prices, which is consistent with the detailed framework by industry. As well, the real estate, rental and leasing industry, part of the service-producing business sector, excludes the imputed rent for owner-occupied dwellings as there are no data on the number of hours that homeowners spend on dwelling maintenance services.
Next release
Revised estimates of hours worked and labour productivity in the provinces and territories for the 2017-to-2019 period will be published on February 12, 2021, with the incorporation of the new benchmark supply and use tables for reference year 2017.
Products
The Economic accounts statistics portal, accessible from the Subjects module of our website, features an up-to-date portrait of national and provincial economies and their structure.
The Latest Developments in the Canadian Economic Accounts (13-605-X) is available.
The User Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (13-606-G) is also available.
The Methodological Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (13-607-X) is also available.
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; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
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