Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, September 2024
Released: 2024-11-28
$1,280.28
September 2024
5.2% 
(12-month change)
$1,244.55
September 2024
2.5%
(12-month change)
$1,091.68
September 2024
6.0%
(12-month change)
$1,128.25
September 2024
4.2%
(12-month change)
$1,148.59
September 2024
2.3%
(12-month change)
$1,228.15
September 2024
4.7%
(12-month change)
$1,316.32
September 2024
6.0%
(12-month change)
$1,154.20
September 2024
3.5%
(12-month change)
$1,229.70
September 2024
4.1%
(12-month change)
$1,353.72
September 2024
5.0%
(12-month change)
$1,286.83
September 2024
4.2%
(12-month change)
$1,450.08
September 2024
3.6%
(12-month change)
$1,701.28
September 2024
6.0%
(12-month change)
$1,751.75
September 2024
7.5%
(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—fell by 57,400 (-0.3%) in September, following little change in August and an increase of 39,500 (+0.2%) in July. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up 94,900 (+0.5%) in September.
Meanwhile, job vacancies edged up to 528,200 in September, following little change in the previous month and three consecutive monthly declines from May to July.
Chart 1
Payroll employment falls in September, following little change in August
In September, monthly payroll employment declines were recorded in 9 sectors, led by retail trade (-13,200; -0.7%), accommodation and food services (-9,100; -0.7%), other services (except public administration) (-7,600; -1.3%), professional, scientific and technical services (-5,700; -0.5%) and construction (-5,600; -0.5%). The remaining 11 sectors were little changed.
Chart 2
Payroll employment decreases in 9 sectors in September and is little changed in the remaining 11
Payroll employment in retail trade trending down since January
Payroll employment in retail trade decreased by 13,200 (-0.7%) in September, following little change in August and an increase of 4,700 (+0.2%) in July. Payroll employment in this sector has generally trended down from January to September 2024, with an overall decline of 30,100 (-1.5%).
Building material and supplies dealers (-6,800; -5.2%) was the largest contributor to the sector's overall decline from January to September, followed by clothing and clothing accessories retailers (-4,600; -2.8%) and sporting goods, hobby and musical instrument retailers (-3,200; -4.8%).
Accommodation and food services record a payroll employment decline in September
In September, payroll employment in accommodation and food services declined by 9,100 (-0.7%), following little change in August and an increase of 3,700 (+0.3%) in July. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in the sector was down by 13,300 (-1.0%) in September.
The monthly decline in September was concentrated in full-service restaurants and limited service eating places (-8,300; -0.8%). The September decrease in this industry offset most of the cumulative gain of 10,100 (+1.0%) in the industry from February to August.
Payroll employment in other services (except public administration) falls in September
In September, payroll employment in other services (except public administration) fell by 7,600 (-1.3%), following increases in both August (+1,500; +0.3%) and July (+1,900; +0.3%). Despite the monthly decline in September, payroll employment in this sector has been little changed overall since January 2024.
This sector includes establishments primarily engaged in repair and maintenance, personal services, as well as religious, civic and professional organizations.
Second consecutive monthly decline in professional, scientific and technical services
Payroll employment in professional, scientific and technical services declined for the second consecutive month in September (-5,700; -0.5%), following a decrease of 1,700 (-0.1%) in August.
Within the sector, the cumulative decline since August was concentrated in computer systems design and related services (-4,800; -1.3%). The number of people employed in computer systems design and related services in Canada rose markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic period and reached a peak of nearly 389,700 in June 2023. In September 2024, payroll employment in the industry was down 14,700 (-3.8%) from June 2023, but was up by 113,700 (+43.5%) compared with its pre-pandemic annual average of 261,300 in 2019.
Monthly decline in construction in September follows two consecutive months of little variation
Payroll employment in construction fell by 5,600 (-0.5%) in September, after little change in August and July, and a decrease in June (-3,600; -0.3%). From May to September, payroll employment in the sector recorded a net decrease of 8,300 (-0.7%).
The overall payroll employment decline in construction from May to September was concentrated in heavy and civil engineering construction (-4,600; -2.6%) and specialty trade contractors (-3,100; -0.4%). Over the same period, payroll employment in non-residential building construction fell by 700 (-0.6%), while residential building construction was essentially unchanged.
Despite the net decline from May to September, payroll employment in the overall sector was up by 3,100 (+0.3%) on a year-over-year basis in September.
Average weekly earnings increase both on a monthly and yearly basis
Month over month, average weekly earnings were up 0.5% to $1,280 in September, following a 0.7% increase in August.
On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings were up 5.2% in September, following a 4.9% increase in August. In general, growth in average weekly earnings can reflect a range of factors, including changes in wages, composition of employment, hours worked and base-year effects.
In September, average weekly hours worked (33.5 hours) were little changed on a month-over-month and year-over-year basis.
Job vacancies edge up in September
Job vacancies edged up to 528,200 in September, following little change in the previous month and three consecutive monthly declines from May to July. On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies were down by 116,400 (-18.1%) in September, while total labour demand—which corresponds to the sum of filled and unfilled positions—was up by 0.2%.
The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—was 3.0% in September, up by 0.1 percentage points from August (2.9%) after six consecutive months of decline.
There were 2.7 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in September, down from 2.8 in August, reflecting a decrease in the number of unemployed people (-30,800) from August, according to the Labour Force Survey. This was the first decrease in the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio after six consecutive monthly increases.
Infographic 1
Job vacancy rate up in September after six consecutive months of declines
Job vacancies rise in three sectors and fall in two
In September, the number of job vacancies increased in manufacturing (+3,600; +11.2%), information and cultural industries (+3,400; +57.4%), and utilities (+700; +32.9%). These increases were largely offset by decreases in finance and insurance (-4,800; -20.5%) and administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (-3,600; -12.0%).
Year over year, vacancies declined in 13 of 20 sectors, with the largest decreases in health care and social assistance (-20,800; -15.6%), retail trade (-17,100; -26.3%), and accommodation and food services (-16,200; -22.7%). Over the same period, finance and insurance (+2,500; +15.3%) recorded an increase while the remaining six sectors were little changed.
Chart 3
Job vacancies down in 13 sectors on a year-over-year basis in September
Job vacancies up in manufacturing
There were 35,300 unfilled positions in manufacturing in September, up by 3,600 (+11.2%) from August, but down by 11,000 (-23.8%) from one year earlier. The increase in September was the first since February 2024. The job vacancy rate in the sector rose by 0.2 percentage points from the previous month to 2.2% in September but was down 0.7 percentage points from a year earlier (2.9%).
Vacancies down in administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
In administrative and support, waste management and remediation services, the decline in job vacancies (-3,600; -12.0%) largely offset the increase in August (+4,200; +16.1%), bringing the number of vacant positions to 26,400 in September. On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies in this sector were down by 12,500 (-32.2%) in September.
In September, the job vacancy rate (3.1%) in the sector was little changed from the previous month, but down by 1.4 percentage points compared with September 2023.
Job vacancies hold steady in health care and social assistance
In health care and social assistance, job vacancies held steady at 112,900 in September, following a decline of 13,100 (-10.3%) in August. Year over year, job vacancies in the sector were down by 20,800 (-15.6%) in September.
The job vacancy rate in health care and social assistance (4.5%) remained the highest among all sectors in September, virtually unchanged from the previous month but down 1.0 percentage points from September 2023 (5.5%).
Job vacancies rise in Prince Edward Island and fall in Quebec
In September, two provinces saw significant changes in terms of job vacancies. Vacancies in Quebec fell by 6,500 to 112,400 (-5.4%), while in Prince Edward Island, vacancies increased by 700 to 3,000 (+32.7%). The job vacancy rate in Quebec was down by 0.2 percentage points to 2.8%, while in Prince Edward Island, it was up 1.0 percentage points to 4.0%.
In September, Newfoundland and Labrador had both the lowest job vacancy rate (2.3%) and the highest unemployment rate (10.0%) among all provinces, resulting in the highest unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio (5.7). British Columbia had the lowest unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio among all provinces, with 1.9 unemployed persons per vacant position. Job vacancies in British Columbia have remained steady for six consecutive months.
Map 1
Job vacancy rate and unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio by province, September 2024
Did you know we have a mobile app?
Download our mobile app and get timely access to data at your fingertips! The StatsCAN app is available for free on the App Store and on Google Play.
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. This analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 68% confidence level.
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 December 16.
Next release
October data for SEPH and JVWS will be released on December 19. The third quarter (July to September) of 2024 JVWS results, which will provide insights into job vacancies by subsector, vacancies by occupation and offered wages, will be released on December 16, 2024.
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: