Labour Force Survey, October 2024
Released: 2024-11-08
Highlights
Employment was little changed in October (+15,000; +0.1%) and the employment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 60.6%. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.5%.
Employment rose by 25,000 (+1.8%) in October among male youth aged 15 to 24, while it fell among women aged 55 and older (-15,000; -0.8%). There was little change in employment for men and women across the other major age groups.
There were more people employed in business, building and other support services (+29,000; +4.2%) in the month, and fewer people employed in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (-13,000; -0.9%) as well as public administration (-8,700; -0.7%).
By province, employment increased in Alberta (+13,000; +0.5%) and New Brunswick (+3,300; +0.8%) in October, while it declined in Prince Edward Island (-1,100; -1.2%).
Total hours worked rose 0.3% in the month and were up 1.6% compared with 12 months earlier.
Average hourly wages among employees increased 4.9% (up $1.68 to $35.76) on a year-over-year basis in October, following growth of 4.6% in September (not seasonally adjusted).
Employment holds steady in October
Employment was little changed in October (+15,000; +0.1%), following an increase in September (+47,000; +0.2%). On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by 303,000 (+1.5%).
The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 60.6% in October, the sixth consecutive monthly decline. It fell 1.3 percentage points on a year-over-year basis and has been on a downward trend from a recent peak of 62.4% in February 2023.
The number of employees in the private sector was little changed in October, following two months of growth totalling 99,000 (+0.7%) in August and September. Public sector employment and self-employment were both virtually unchanged in October.
Chart 1
Employment rate falls for sixth consecutive month in October, continuing downward trend
Employment rises among youth
Employment increased by 33,000 (+1.2%) for youth aged 15 to 24 in October, driven by gains among male youth (+25,000; +1.8%). The youth employment rate rose 0.4 percentage points to 54.4% in October, the first increase for this group since April.
Despite the employment increase in October, the youth employment rate declined 2.7 percentage points from October 2023 to October 2024. Over this period, the employment rate fell more for male youth (-3.4 percentage points to 53.4%) than for female youth (-1.9 percentage points to 55.5%).
Employment was little changed among core-aged (25 to 54 years old) men and women in October. However, as the population grew, employment rates continued to trend down, falling by 0.3 percentage points to 86.2% for men and by 0.3 percentage points to 80.2% for women in this age group.
The employment rate for core-aged people has trended down since the spring of 2023 and was down by a similar amount for women (-1.5 percentage points) and men (-1.3 percentage points) on a year-over-year basis in October 2024.
For people aged 55 to 64, the employment rate held steady in October and compared with 12 months earlier for both women (59.3%) and men (69.4%).
Infographic 1
Employment rate by age group
Unemployment rate holds steady at 6.5%
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.5% in October, following a decline of 0.1 percentage points in September. On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was up 0.8 percentage points in October, as 193,000 (+15.6%) more people searched for work or were on temporary layoff.
The youth unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage points to 12.8% in October, following a decline of 1.0 percentage points in September. Prior to these declines, the youth unemployment rate had been on a strong upward trend from January, rising to a recent peak of 14.5% in August. On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was up 2.4 percentage points to 14.3% for young men in October and was little changed at 11.1% for young women.
The unemployment rate of core-aged women rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.5% in October, after it increased 0.3 percentage points the previous month. The unemployment rate of core-aged women has trended up in the 12 months to October, rising 1.0 percentage points over this period. For core-aged men, the unemployment rate was virtually unchanged in the month at 5.7%, but was up 0.6 percentage points on a year-over-year basis.
There was little change in the unemployment rate for people aged 55 and older (4.9%) in October and compared with 12 months earlier.
Chart 2
Unemployment rate unchanged at 6.5% in October
Infographic 2
Unemployment rate by age group
Unemployment rate falls on a year-over-year basis among core-aged First Nations people and Métis, and rises among First Nations youth
Among First Nations people living off reserve in the provinces, the unemployment rate was 11.5% in October, little changed from 12 months earlier (10.8%) (three-month moving averages, not seasonally adjusted). For First Nations people in the core-age (25 to 54 years), the unemployment rate was 7.8%, down 1.6 percentage points compared with 12 months earlier. However, for First Nations youth (aged 15 to 24), the unemployment rate rose 5.6 percentage points to 22.0% over the same period. Among First Nations people aged 55 years and older, the unemployment rate in October (10.1%) was little changed from 12 months earlier.
Among Métis, the unemployment rate was 6.1% in October, and was down 1.5 percentage points on a year-over-year basis. The unemployment rate of core-aged Métis fell 2.2 percentage points to 4.7% in the 12 months to October, while it was little changed over the same period among Métis youth (12.7%) and Métis aged 55 years and older (3.6%).
Participation rate falls in October, the fourth monthly decline since May
The labour force participation rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed or looking for work—declined 0.1 percentage points to 64.8% in October, the fourth monthly decline since May. The participation rate in October was the lowest since December 1997 (excluding the years 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic).
After reaching a peak of 67.7% prior to the 2008/2009 recession, the labour force participation rate followed a steady downward trend, reflecting the long-term downward pressures of population aging on labour supply.
In recent years, the participation rate has held relatively steady, as robust population growth and a tight labour market contributed to increased labour force participation, particularly among core-aged women and men, offsetting the long-term impacts of population aging on overall labour supply. More recently, labour market conditions have cooled, and declines in labour force participation have been recorded across most major demographic groups.
Although the participation rate of youth aged 15 to 24 was little changed at 62.3% in October, it fell 2.1 percentage points on a year-over-year basis, the largest decline among major age groups. The decline was attributable to lower labour force participation among students; on a year-over-year basis, the participation rate fell among students (-3.1 percentage points to 44.1%), but was little changed for non-students (87.5%) (not seasonally adjusted). Among youth not in the labour force, the majority (88.7%) were going to school—virtually unchanged from a year earlier.
The participation rate of core-aged men fell 0.3 percentage points to 91.4% in October and was down 0.9 percentage points from a recent high of 92.3% reached in April and May 2024. The participation rate of core-aged men in October was comparable with its 2017-to-2019 pre-pandemic average (91.2%).
For core-aged women, the participation rate was little changed at 84.9% in October but was down 0.6 percentage points from the recent high of 85.5% recorded in April 2024. Despite the recent decline, the participation rate of core-aged women in October remained higher than the 2017-to-2019 average of 83.4%.
The participation rate of people aged 55 to 64 was little changed both in October and on a year-over-year basis for both men (73.8%) and women (61.8%).
Chart 3
Participation rate decreases in October
Employment increases in business, building and other support services
In October, employment in business, building and other support services rose by 29,000 (+4.2%), the first increase since May. On a year-over-year basis, employment in this industry—which includes establishments primarily engaged in activities that support the day-to-day operations of organizations, from waste management to administrative services—was up by 33,000 (+4.8%).
Employment in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing fell by 13,000 (-0.9%) in October. Despite the decline in the month, employment in the industry was up by 50,000 (+3.6%) on a year-over-year basis, outpacing employment growth across all industries (+1.5%).
Public administration employment fell by 8,700 (-0.7%) in October, following two consecutive months of little change in August and September. Employment in public administration had previously followed a strong upward trend from August 2023 to July 2024, rising by 65,000 (+5.5%) over the period.
Chart 4
Employment up in business, building and other support services in October
More people employed in Alberta and New Brunswick, while Prince Edward Island posts a decline
Employment in Alberta rose by 13,000 (+0.5%) in October, the second increase in three months. At 7.3%, the unemployment rate was little changed in the month, but was up 1.4 percentage points compared with October 2023. Over the same period, the employment rate in Alberta fell 1.6 percentage points to 63.7%, as employment growth (+2.3%; +58,000) was slower than growth in the population aged 15 and older in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (+4.8%).
Employment also increased in New Brunswick in October (+3,300; +0.8%) and the unemployment rate was little changed at 6.8%. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was up 3.1% (+12,000).
There were fewer employed people in Prince Edward Island in October (-1,100; -1.2%). The decline in employment, coupled with an increase in the number of Prince Edward Islanders in search of work, pushed the unemployment rate in the province up 2.9 percentage points to 10.0%.
Both Quebec and Ontario saw little overall employment change in October. The unemployment rate held steady in October in Quebec (at 5.7%) and in Ontario (at 6.8%).
Map 1
Unemployment rate by province and territory, October 2024
In the spotlight: Nearly 3 in 10 Canadians living in a household that had difficulty meeting its financial needs
In October, nearly 3 in 10 (28.8%) Canadians aged 15 and older were living in a household that had found it difficult or very difficult, in the previous four weeks, to meet its financial needs in terms of transportation, housing, food, clothing and other necessary expenses. This was down from October 2023 (33.1%) and October 2022 (35.5%), though still above the figure recorded in October 2020 (20.4%) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continuing the pattern observed in October 2022 and 2023, residents of Quebec were the least likely to live in a household experiencing difficulty meeting its financial needs (22.3%) in October 2024. On the other hand, the proportions of people living in households facing financial difficulties in Ontario (31.7%) and Alberta (31.3%) were above the Canadian average.
People living in a rented dwelling were more likely to be in a household that found it difficult or very difficult to meet its financial needs (39.2%) compared with those living in a dwelling owned by a member of the household (24.3%).
Immigrants were also more likely to be in households experiencing financial difficulties. In October, among immigrants who had landed in Canada within the previous 10 years, just over 4 in 10 (41.2%) lived in a household experiencing financial difficulties. For more established immigrants (landed more than 10 years ago), this proportion was just over 3 in 10 (31.2%), while it was about one-quarter (25.8%) for people born in Canada.
In the spotlight: just over 6 in 10 Canadian workers very satisfied with their job
Levels of job satisfaction may reflect differences in job characteristics and working conditions, as well as the compatibility of a person with their job. Job satisfaction can impact the well-being and productivity of workers, and is part of Canada's Quality of Life framework. In October 2024, the LFS asked employed Canadians aged 15 to 69 to rate their level of job satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10.
In October, just over 6 in 10 workers (61.3%) reported that they were very satisfied with their job; that is, they rated their job satisfaction 8, 9 or 10 out of 10. This was down 0.9 percentage points from October 2023 (62.2%). Youth aged 15 to 24 were the least likely to be very satisfied with their job (55.3%), while workers aged 55 to 69 were the most likely to be very satisfied (68.1%). About 6 in 10 (60.5%) core-aged men and women were very satisfied with their job.
In October, self-employed workers were more likely to be very satisfied with their job (70.0%) compared with both public sector employees (60.2%) and private sector employees (60.1%).
Workers in agriculture were among the most likely to be very satisfied with their job (71.8%), while those in accommodation and food services (50.4%) and retail trade (53.9%) were less likely to be very satisfied with their job compared to the average for all workers.
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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 Labour Force Survey 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
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for October are for the week of October 13 to 19, 2024.
The LFS estimates are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. As a result, monthly estimates will show more variability than trends observed over longer time periods. For more information, see "Interpreting Monthly Changes in Employment from the Labour Force Survey."
This analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 68% confidence level.
LFS estimates at the Canada level do not include the territories.
The LFS estimates are the first in a series of labour market indicators released by Statistics Canada, which includes indicators from programs such as the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH); Employment Insurance Statistics; and the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey. For more information on the conceptual differences between employment measures from the LFS and those from the SEPH, refer to section 8 of the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (71-543-G).
Face-to-face personal interviewing resumed in November 2022. Telephone interviews continued to be conducted by interviewers working mainly from their homes rather than Statistics Canada's call centres, as they have since March 2020. About 49,100 interviews were completed in October 2024 and in-depth data quality evaluations conducted each month confirm that the LFS continues to produce an accurate portrait of Canada's labour market.
The employment rate is the number of employed people as a percentage of the population aged 15 and older. The rate for a particular group (for example, youths aged 15 to 24) is the number employed in that group as a percentage of the population for that group.
The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force (employed and unemployed).
The participation rate is the number of employed and unemployed people as a percentage of the population aged 15 and older.
Full-time employment consists of persons who usually work 30 hours or more per week at their main or only job.
Part-time employment consists of persons who usually work less than 30 hours per week at their main or only job.
Total hours worked refers to the number of hours actually worked at the main job by the respondent during the reference week, including paid and unpaid hours. These hours reflect temporary decreases or increases in work hours (for example, hours lost due to illness, vacation, holidays or weather; or more hours worked due to overtime).
In general, month-to-month or year-to-year changes in the number of people employed in an age group reflect the net effect of two factors: (1) the number of people who changed employment status between reference periods, and (2) the number of employed people who entered or left the age group (including through aging, death or migration) between reference periods.
Seasonal adjustment
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted estimates, which facilitate comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
Population growth in the Labour Force Survey
The LFS target population includes all persons aged 15 years and older whose usual place of residence is in Canada, with the exception of those living on reserves, full-time members of the regular Armed Forces and persons living in institutions (including inmates of penal institutions and patients in hospitals and nursing homes).
The LFS target population includes temporary residents—that is, those with a valid work or study permit, their families, and refugee claimants—as well as permanent residents (landed immigrants) and the Canadian-born.
Information gathered from LFS respondents is weighted to represent the survey target population using population calibration totals. These totals are updated each month, using the most recently available information on population changes, including changes in the number of non-permanent residents. LFS population calibration totals are derived from Canada's official population estimates using similar sources and methods, with minor adjustments being made to reflect exclusions from the LFS target population.
While the LFS population totals are generally aligned with official demographic estimates, numbers from the two sources should be compared with caution, given the different goals of the programs and because of a number of methodological differences reflecting the objectives of the LFS. Official demographic estimates should be considered the official measure of population change in Canada. More information on how population totals in the LFS are calculated can be found in the article "Interpreting population totals from the Labour Force Survey."
Next release
The next release of the LFS will be on December 6. November data will reflect labour market conditions during the week of November 10 to 16.
Products
More information about the concepts and use of the Labour Force Survey is available online in the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (71-543-G).
The product "Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app" (14200001) is also available. This interactive visualization application provides seasonally adjusted estimates by province, sex, age group and industry.
The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province and census metropolitan area, seasonally adjusted" (71-607-X) is also available. This interactive dashboard provides customizable access to key labour market indicators.
The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province, territory and economic region, unadjusted for seasonality" (71-607-X) is also available. This dynamic web application provides access to labour market indicators for Canada, provinces, territories and economic regions.
The product "Labour market indicators, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and self-contained labour areas: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available. This dashboard allows users to visually explore the estimates using an interactive map as well as time series charts and tables.
The product Labour Force Survey: Public Use Microdata File (71M0001X) is also available. This public use microdata file contains non-aggregated data for a wide variety of variables collected from the Labour Force Survey. The data have been modified to ensure that no individual or business is directly or indirectly identified. This product is for users who prefer to do their own analysis by focusing on specific subgroups in the population or by cross-classifying variables that are not in our catalogued products.
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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