Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, February 2023
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
Released: 2023-04-27
$1,176.89
February 2023
1.8% 
(12-month change)
$1,143.15
February 2023
0.6%
(12-month change)
$1,015.97
February 2023
5.7%
(12-month change)
$1,033.32
February 2023
2.6%
(12-month change)
$1,087.87
February 2023
4.1%
(12-month change)
$1,118.09
February 2023
1.1%
(12-month change)
$1,210.03
February 2023
1.9%
(12-month change)
$1,085.72
February 2023
4.4%
(12-month change)
$1,151.11
February 2023
1.3%
(12-month change)
$1,258.93
February 2023
1.3%
(12-month change)
$1,175.13
February 2023
1.9%
(12-month change)
$1,341.03
February 2023
1.5%
(12-month change)
$1,595.84
February 2023
2.4%
(12-month change)
$1,569.23
February 2023
2.8%
(12-month change)
The number of employees receiving pay or benefits from their employer—measured as "payroll employees" in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—rose by 62,500 (+0.3%) in February, following an increase of 75,300 (+0.4%) in January. This brings cumulative gains from September 2022 to February 2023 to 342,200 (+1.9%).
Increase in payroll employment concentrated in the services-producing sector
Payroll employment in the services-producing sector increased by 62,300 (+0.4%) in February. Gains were led by educational services (+19,400; +1.4%), retail trade (+11,100; +0.5%), and professional, scientific, and technical services (+7,100; +0.6%).
Despite an increase in construction (+10,400; +0.9%), total payroll employment in the goods-producing sector was little changed for the second consecutive month in February.
Elementary and secondary schools drive payroll employment increase in educational services in February
Payroll employment in educational services increased by 19,400 (+1.4%) in February 2023, continuing an upward trend that began in November 2022. Elementary and secondary schools (+18,200; +2.2%) accounted for over 90% of February's monthly gain in educational services, while representing roughly 60% of total payroll employment in the sector.
Payroll employment increases in February in retail trade, construction and professional, scientific and technical services
In February, payroll employment in retail trade rose by 11,100 (+0.5%), following an increase of 27,600 (+1.4%) in January.
Payroll employment in the construction sector grew by 10,400 (+0.9%) in February. Payroll employment in the sector has increased steadily since September 2022, apart from a decrease in January 2023 (-6,400; -0.6%).
In February, payroll employment in professional, scientific and technical services increased by 7,100 (+0.6%). This brings cumulative gains from September 2022 to February 2023 to 35,300 (+3.0%).
Average weekly earnings in the goods-producing sector grows 4.5% year over year in February
Average weekly earnings were $1,177 in February, up 1.8% year over year, but down 0.4% compared to January. Growth in average weekly earnings can reflect a range of factors, including changes in wages, composition of employment and hours worked. Compared with a year earlier, average weekly earnings were up 4.5% in the goods-producing sector in February, and up 1.2% in the services-producing sector.
Job vacancies decline in February
Across all sectors, job vacancies fell (-34,900; -4.0%) to 841,300 in February, offsetting the increase recorded in January (+25,700; +3.0%). The number of job vacancies in February was the lowest since August 2021.
The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand (the sum of filled and vacant positions)—decreased 0.2 percentage points to 4.7% in February.
The number of job vacancies in health care and social assistance declined (-16,200; -10.1%) to 143,800 in February, offsetting January's increase (+11,800; +7.9%). Despite this decline, the number of vacancies in this sector remained the highest across all sectors for the eighth consecutive month in February.
In educational services, the number of job vacancies fell by 3,600 (-16.0%) to 18,700 in February, following a decrease of 5,300 (-19.1%) in January. The job vacancy rate in the sector was 1.3% in February, the lowest of all sectors for the tenth consecutive month.
In February, the number of job vacancies showed little change in the remaining 18 sectors, including in accommodation and food services (116,800), retail trade (90,600), construction (69,400) and manufacturing (63,700).
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 or 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 records 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 those in the labour market.
As a result of conceptual and methodological differences, estimates of changes from the SEPH and the LFS differ occasionally. However, the trends in the data are similar. 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).
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) 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.
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.
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 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
Real-time data tables 14-10-0357-01, 14-10-0331-01 and 14-10-0332-01 will be updated on May 15, 2023.
Next release
March 2023 data for the SEPH and the JVWS will be released on May 25, 2023.
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).
- Date modified: