Labour Force Survey: Revisions, 2021 to 2023

Released: 2024-01-29

As is the standard practice, the Labour Force Survey seasonally-adjusted estimates for the previous three years have been revised using the latest seasonal factors.

Part of this revision was to review seasonal adjustment methods introduced to account for shocks to the labour market during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The review indicated that seasonal patterns in the most recent two years (2022 and 2023) are returning to pre-pandemic patterns and therefore these seasonal adjustment parameters were revised accordingly.

Labour Force Survey seasonal adjustment revision has minimal impact on labour market trends

Monthly employment estimates at the Canada level were virtually unchanged, with no significant differences observed between the revised and unrevised estimates. The unemployment rate changed by a maximum of 0.1 percentage points over the revision period and the revised national unemployment rate in December 2023 was unchanged at 5.8%.

Chart 1 
Employment: Comparison of revised and unrevised levels, seasonally adjusted, January 2021 to December 2023

Chart 2 
Unemployment rate: Comparison of revised and unrevised levels, seasonally adjusted, January 2021 to December 2023

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).