Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, July 2024
Released: 2024-09-26
$1,267.54
July 2024
4.5% 
(12-month change)
$1,252.85
July 2024
4.0%
(12-month change)
$1,068.03
July 2024
4.2%
(12-month change)
$1,120.97
July 2024
4.8%
(12-month change)
$1,145.94
July 2024
3.8%
(12-month change)
$1,207.76
July 2024
4.0%
(12-month change)
$1,299.77
July 2024
4.8%
(12-month change)
$1,155.42
July 2024
4.8%
(12-month change)
$1,217.71
July 2024
3.7%
(12-month change)
$1,336.42
July 2024
3.5%
(12-month change)
$1,282.46
July 2024
4.7%
(12-month change)
$1,448.30
July 2024
4.7%
(12-month change)
$1,717.52
July 2024
8.3%
(12-month change)
$1,715.91
July 2024
6.8%
(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—increased by 32,800 (+0.2%) in July, following a decline in June (-22,900; -0.1%) and five consecutive monthly increases from January to May. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up 157,700 (+0.9%) in July.
Meanwhile, job vacancies fell by 22,400 (-4.1%) to 526,900 in July, marking the third consecutive monthly decline. The number of job vacancies in July was down by nearly half (-47.5%) from the peak reached in May 2022.
Chart 1
Payroll employment increases in July following a decline in June
In July 2024, monthly payroll employment increases were recorded in 5 out of 20 sectors, led by health care and social assistance (+17,600; +0.7%), public administration (+8,000; +0.6%) and retail trade (+2,300; +0.1%). These gains were partially offset by declines in 5 other sectors, led by manufacturing (-6,200; -0.4%), construction (-2,400; -0.2%) and administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (-2,400; -0.3%). The remaining 10 sectors were little changed.
Chart 2
Payroll employment increases in five sectors, decreases in another five sectors in July
July monthly gain in payroll employment in health care and social assistance more than offsets June losses
Payroll employment in health care and social assistance rose by 17,600 (+0.7%) in July, more than offsetting the decrease in June (-5,000; -0.2%). Payroll employment in the sector has generally trended up since September 2022, with a cumulative increase of 176,600 (+8.0%) during this time period.
General medical and surgical hospitals (+58,600; +10.0%), child day-care services (+24,700; +14.8%), and nursing care facilities (+16,400; +7.3%) were the main contributors to the cumulative gains from September 2022 to July 2024. These three industries accounted for 56% of the increase during this period, and made up 45% of payroll employment in health care and social assistance in July.
Payroll employment in public administration increases in July
Payroll employment in public administration rose by 8,000 (+0.6%) in July, following a smaller gain in June (+2,600; +0.2%) and a decline in May (-6,000; -0.5%).
The increase in July was led by local, municipal and regional public administration (+3,400; +0.7%), followed by federal government public administration (+2,400; +0.6%) and provincial and territorial public administration (+2,000; +0.6%).
Year over year, payroll employment in public administration was up by 39,900 (+3.1%) in July.
Retail trade records an increase in payroll employment in July
Payroll employment in retail trade increased by 2,300 (+0.1%) in July, following a decline in June (-11,500; -0.6%). The overall sector has trended down since peaking in February 2023. From February 2023 to July 2024, the net payroll employment loss in retail trade was 33,400 (-1.6%).
The main subsectors contributing to the downward trend in payroll employment since February 2023 are clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage and leather goods retailers (-14,200; -6.6%), building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-12,300, -8.2%), and furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers (-10,000; -8.8%).
Payroll employment in manufacturing falls in July
In July 2024, payroll employment decreased by 6,200 (-0.4%) in manufacturing, following a decline in June (-5,000; -0.3%).
Monthly declines in manufacturing were recorded in 9 out of 21 subsectors in July, led by food manufacturing (-1,700, -0.7%) and plastics and rubber products manufacturing (-800; -0.8%). Paper manufacturing (+500; +1.0%) was the sole industry in this sector to record a monthly increase in July.
On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in manufacturing was down by 12,700 (-0.8%) in July.
Second consecutive monthly decrease in payroll employment in construction
In July, payroll employment in construction (-2,400; -0.2%) decreased for the second consecutive month, bringing the cumulative losses for June and July to 6,000 (-0.5%).
The cumulative payroll employment decline in June and July was concentrated in heavy and civil engineering (-3,400; -1.9%), non-residential construction (-1,700; -1.4%) and specialty trade contractors (-1,300; -0.2%). Over the same period, payroll employment in residential construction edged up by 300 (+0.2%).
Average weekly earnings increase in July
On a month-over-month basis, average weekly earnings were up 1.0% to $1,268 in July, following growth of 0.4% in June and 0.7% in May.
On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings grew by 4.5% in July, following a 4.2% annual increase in June. 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 worked were little changed in July but were up 0.6% on a year-over-year basis to 33.5 hours.
Job vacancies continue to decline in July
Job vacancies fell by 22,400 (-4.1%) to 526,900 in July, marking the third consecutive monthly decline. The number of job vacancies in July was down by nearly half (-47.5%) from the peak reached in May 2022 (1,003,400).
The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—was 3.0% in July 2024, down by 0.1 percentage points from the previous month (3.1%) and down by 1.0 percentage points from July 2023 (4.0%).
Unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio increases for the fifth consecutive month
There were 2.7 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in July 2024, up from 2.6 in June. The increase in the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio in July reflected the decrease in job vacancies (-22,000; -4.0%). The number of unemployed people in the Labour Force Survey (LFS)—a monthly household survey of the working-age population—was virtually unchanged in July from the previous month. The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio excludes the territories for consistency with the available LFS data.
Infographic 1
Unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio rises as vacancies fall
Job vacancies decrease in six sectors
The overall decline in job vacancies in July was driven by losses in six sectors: transportation and warehousing (-8,100; -24.3%), accommodation and food services (-6,500; -11.3%), manufacturing (-5,800; -15.7%), administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (-4,700; -15.7%), wholesale trade (-2,500; -11.9%) and management of companies and enterprises (-600; -21.2%).
Year over year, 17 of 20 sectors saw a decline in vacancies in July while the remaining 3 sectors—educational services (20,900); public administration (15,000); and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (8,900)—were little changed.
Downward trend in job vacancies continues in manufacturing
The number of vacant positions in manufacturing fell by 5,800 (-15.7%) to 31,000 in July, continuing its downward trend since reaching its peak of 87,200 vacancies in April 2022. The number of job vacancies in July 2024 was the lowest since November 2016 (when it was also 31,000).
Year over year, job vacancies in the sector were down by 19,700 (-38.8%) in July 2024. The job vacancy rate in the sector was 2.0% in July, down 0.3 percentage points from June and down 1.1 percentage points from a year earlier (3.1%).
Job vacancies in accommodation and food services continue to decrease
In July, job vacancies in accommodation and food services decreased by 6,500 (-11.3%) to 51,400 from the previous month, and were down by 36,800 (-41.7%) on a year-over-year basis. The number of vacancies in the sector in July was down by more than two-thirds (69.6%) from the peak in September 2021 (168,900).
Despite the decline in the number of vacancies, the job vacancy rate in accommodation and food services in July 2024 (3.8%) was the second highest among all sectors, along with construction (also at 3.8%), and behind health care and social assistance (5.1%).
Health care and social assistance continues to post the highest job vacancy rate among all sectors
The number of job vacancies in health care and social assistance in July (128,500) was little changed for the second straight month, following a decline in May (-9,900; -7.2%). Among the 17 sectors that had significant year-over-year declines in job vacancies in July, health care and social assistance recorded the smallest proportional decline (-12.8%). The job vacancy rate in the sector was 5.1% in July, the highest rate across all sectors.
Chart 3
Job vacancy rate in health care and social assistance was the highest across all sectors in July
Job vacancies fall in four provinces
In July, the number of vacant positions decreased in Ontario (-11,900 to 183,200), Manitoba (-2,400 to 21,000), Newfoundland and Labrador (-2,300 to 3,700), and Nova Scotia (-1,700 to 13,200). Job vacancies were little changed in the remaining provinces.
On a year-over-year basis, the job vacancy rate was down in nine provinces in July, including British Columbia (from 4.6% in July 2023 to 3.6% in July 2024) and Saskatchewan (from 4.6% to 3.1%), both of which had the highest rates in July 2023. Prince Edward Island was the only province where the job vacancy rate (3.2%) was little changed in July 2024.
In July, British Columbia had the highest job vacancy rate at 3.6%, while Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest job vacancy rate at 1.9%.
Chart 4
Year-over-year, the job vacancy rate declined in nine provinces in July
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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 those 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, 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.
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 October 15.
Next release
August data for SEPH and JVWS will be released on October 31.
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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