Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, April 2023
Released: 2023-06-29
$1,194.10
April 2023
2.9% 
(12-month change)
$1,176.22
April 2023
3.5%
(12-month change)
$1,003.01
April 2023
4.3%
(12-month change)
$1,057.56
April 2023
3.3%
(12-month change)
$1,096.47
April 2023
2.1%
(12-month change)
$1,134.05
April 2023
2.0%
(12-month change)
$1,229.06
April 2023
2.8%
(12-month change)
$1,095.81
April 2023
5.4%
(12-month change)
$1,160.28
April 2023
2.2%
(12-month change)
$1,284.46
April 2023
3.0%
(12-month change)
$1,199.14
April 2023
3.0%
(12-month change)
$1,363.95
April 2023
2.4%
(12-month change)
$1,611.14
April 2023
5.4%
(12-month change)
$1,667.30
April 2023
10.9%
(12-month change)
Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, April 2023
The number of employees receiving pay or benefits from their employer—measured as "payroll employees" in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—decreased by 25,100 (-0.1%) in April, excluding federal government public administration.
The federal government public administration recorded a decline of 115,200 (-30.5%), which was associated with the strike action in April. Most of this decline is expected to be temporary. In accordance with the "payroll employee" 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. Including the decline in this subsector, the overall decrease in national payroll employment was 140,300 (-0.8%) in April.
In addition to the decline in public administration (-108,200; -8.6%), five other sectors recorded monthly payroll employment declines, including retail trade (-9,200; -0.5%), accommodation and food services (-7,000; -0.5%) and other services (except public administration) (-4,800; -0.9%). These declines were partially offset by gains in construction (+3,700; +0.3%) and health care and social assistance (+2,100; +0.1%).
Growth in payroll employment has moderated since the beginning of 2023. The decline in April followed cumulative increases of 48,900 (+0.3%) in February and March. In comparison, payroll employment in the previous five-month period generally trended upwards, with cumulative gains of 279,700 (+1.6%) from September 2022 to January 2023.
Meanwhile, job vacancies edged down to 790,900 in April. Since January 2023, the overall number of job vacancies has fallen by 72,700 (-8.4%).
Public Service Alliance of Canada strike action in April
On April 19, Public Service Alliance of Canada members began strike action. 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 a "payroll employee" 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 subsector of federal government public administration recorded a decline in payroll employment and an increase in average weekly earnings in April. These changes are expected to be temporary in that month.
Chart 1
Payroll employment declines in April
Payroll employment in retail trade drops for the second consecutive month
In April, payroll employment in retail trade dropped by 9,200 (-0.5%), following a decline of 13,900 (-0.7%) in March. These declines have partially offset cumulative increases of 34,800 (+1.7%) recorded in January and February.
In retail trade, five of the nine subsectors recorded national declines in payroll employment in April. These decreases were led by building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-4,400; -3.1%), food and beverage retailers (-2,100; -0.4%), and furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers (-1,700; -1.5%). Health and personal care retailers (+1,300; +0.6%) was the sole subsector to record an increase. The remaining three subsectors were little changed.
First decline in payroll employment in accommodation and food services in six months
Payroll employment in accommodation and food services declined by 7,000 (-0.5%) in April, following an increase of 1,100 (+0.1%) in March. The decline in April was the first recorded decrease in the sector since October 2022. The decrease in April 2023 was observed in three industries, driven by full-service restaurants and limited-service eating places (-8,200; -0.8%). This was partially offset by an increase in traveller accommodation (+2,000; +1.2%).
Payroll employment in construction increases in April
In April, payroll employment in construction increased by 3,700 (+0.3%), following a decline of 3,700 (-0.3%) in March and an increase of 10,600 (+0.9%) in February. Within the sector, specialty trade contractors (+2,200; +0.3%) and heavy and civil engineering construction (+1,500; +0.8%) recorded the largest monthly gains. Within heavy and civil engineering construction, payroll employment increased by 5,200 (+2.8%) from January to April 2023, largely due to gains in utility system construction (+5,400; +6.9%).
Slower growth in payroll employment in health care and social assistance in April
In April, payroll employment in health care and social assistance grew by 2,100 (+0.1%), slower than the growth seen in March (+5,700; +0.3%). Since January 2023, cumulative gains totalled 16,100 (+0.7%) in this sector. Payroll employment gains were observed in three of the four subsectors, led by ambulatory health care services (+1,900; +0.3%) and hospitals (+1,400; +0.2%).
Average weekly earnings were little changed on a month-over-month basis
On a month-over-month basis, average weekly earnings were little changed in April, following an increase of 1.0% in March. Monthly gains in April were recorded in construction (+3.9% to $1,514), educational services (+2.6% to $1,197) and transportation and warehousing (+1.9% to $1,252).
Year over year, average weekly earnings were up 2.9% (to $1,194) in April. This follows year-over-year increases of 1.8% in March and 1.9% in February. The slower year-over-year growth recorded in February and March 2023 reflected the notable growth in average weekly earnings over the first quarter of 2022, which reached a peak in March 2022, resulting in a base-year effect (a concept discussed at length in the March 2023 release on payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies). In general, growth in average weekly earnings can reflect a range of factors, including changes in wages, composition of employment and hours worked.
Average weekly hours were 33.1 hours in April, essentially unchanged from the previous month. On a year-over-year basis, growth in employment (+1.9%) outpaced growth in total hours worked (+0.4%), resulting in a 0.9% decline in average weekly hours worked.
Job vacancies edge down in April
Job vacancies remained on a downward trend in April, edging down to 790,900, from 804,800 in March. This brings the net decrease in the number of vacancies to 72,700 (-8.4%) since January, and to 212,300 (-21.2%) since the all-time high of 1,003,200 vacancies reached in May 2022.
Monthly declines in vacancies in April 2023 were observed in two provinces. Ontario (-19,300; -6.7%) recorded the largest decline, followed by Prince Edward Island (-900; -23.8%).
Declining job vacancies in construction (-9,000; -12.9%), professional, scientific, and technical services (-7,700; -15.2%), manufacturing (-6,700; -11.1%) and retail trade (-5,500; -5.9%) were partially offset by increases in administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (+7,200; +16.4%).
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) — was 4.4% in April, compared with 4.5% in March. The job vacancy rate has followed a downward trend after recording a peak of 5.7% in March, April and May 2022. The job vacancy rate in April 2023 was the lowest recorded since May 2021 (4.2%).
Infographic 1
Job vacancies and job vacancy rate remain on a downward trend in April
Job vacancies decline in construction; in professional, scientific and technical services; in manufacturing; and in retail trade
The number of job vacancies in construction fell by 9,000 (-12.9%) to 60,400 in April, following little change in February and March. The job vacancy rate in the sector declined by 0.7 percentage points to 5.0% in April, the lowest since May 2021 (4.9%).
There were 42,900 job vacancies in professional, scientific and technical services in April, down by 7,700 (-15.2%) from March, and by 30,600 (-41.6%) from its peak of 73,600 in April 2022. The job vacancy rate decreased by 0.6 percentage points to 3.4% in April 2023, matching the rate of December 2019. The recent decrease in the job vacancy rate was principally led by the fall in job vacancies (-15.2%; -7,700), as the average monthly growth in payroll employment has dropped to 0.1% since January 2023.
In manufacturing, the number of unfilled positions decreased (-6,700; -11.1%) to 53,400 in April 2023, bringing the cumulative decreases since January to 16,400 (-23.4%). The job vacancy rate in the sector decreased (-0.4 percentage points) to 3.3% in April, a rate not seen since December 2020.
In April 2023, the number of job vacancies in retail trade declined (-5,500; -5.9%) to 87,200, while the job vacancy rate decreased (-0.3 percentage points) to 4.1%. On a year-over-year basis, the number of job vacancies in retail trade was down by 22,800 (-20.7%), while payroll employment increased by 19,000 (+0.9%).
Job vacancies remain elevated in health care and social assistance
There were 153,000 vacant positions in health care and social assistance in April, the highest level across all sectors for a 10th straight month. Job vacancies in the sector have remained at or near record highs since September 2022. In April 2023, healthcare and social assistance was the only sector to record a significant increase in job vacancies on a year-over-year basis (+22,200, +17.0%), as job vacancies have fallen in nearly all other sectors.
Quebec and British Columbia continue to have the highest job vacancy rates
In Ontario, the number of job vacancies fell by 19,300 (-6.7%) to 266,900 in April, following a similar decline of 20,800 (-6.8%) in March. Prince Edward Island (-900, -23.8%) was the only other province to record a decline in job vacancies in April.
Quebec (5.1%) and British Columbia (5.0%) continued to have the highest job vacancy rates of any province, while Newfoundland and Labrador (2.8%) had the lowest. Quebec and British Columbia also had the lowest unemployment-to-job vacancy ratios, with Quebec being the only province with fewer unemployed persons (193,000) than job vacancies (206,500).
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 14-10-0331-01, 14-10-0332-01 and 14-10-0357-01 will be updated on July 17, 2023.
Next release
May 2023 data for the SEPH and the JVWS will be released on July 27, 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).
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