Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, June 2025
Released: 2025-08-28
$1,302.11
June 2025
3.7% 
(12-month change)
$1,270.69
June 2025
2.9%
(12-month change)
$1,144.78
June 2025
7.9%
(12-month change)
$1,147.28
June 2025
2.8%
(12-month change)
$1,194.63
June 2025
5.4%
(12-month change)
$1,258.30
June 2025
5.1%
(12-month change)
$1,334.55
June 2025
3.5%
(12-month change)
$1,170.07
June 2025
2.3%
(12-month change)
$1,264.31
June 2025
3.7%
(12-month change)
$1,369.72
June 2025
2.8%
(12-month change)
$1,304.22
June 2025
2.6%
(12-month change)
$1,499.51
June 2025
3.7%
(12-month change)
$1,737.69
June 2025
0.3%
(12-month change)
$1,762.13
June 2025
6.2%
(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—decreased by 32,900 (-0.2%) in June, following an increase of 18,500 (+0.1%) in May. On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up 41,000 (+0.2%) in June.
Chart 1
Payroll employment decreases in June, after increasing in May
In June, monthly payroll employment declines were recorded in 10 of the 20 sectors, including manufacturing (-8,400; -0.5%), retail trade (-8,100; -0.4%), construction (-5,200; -0.4%) and health care and social assistance (-3,700; -0.2%). These declines were partially offset by a gain in public administration (+3,800; +0.3%). The remaining nine sectors were little changed.
Meanwhile, job vacancies in Canada edged up by 12,100 (+2.5%) to 492,000 in June, partially offsetting the cumulative decline recorded in May and April (-37,100; -7.2%). Year over year, job vacancies declined by 59,200 (-10.7%) in June.
Chart 2
Payroll employment in June decreases in 10 sectors and increases in 1
Payroll employment continues a downward trend in manufacturing
Payroll employment in manufacturing decreased by 8,400 (-0.5%) in June, contributing to a cumulative decline of 26,600 (-1.7%) since January 2025. Transportation equipment manufacturing (-6,100; -3.0%) was the largest contributor to the overall decline recorded since January, followed by chemical manufacturing (-3,900; -4.1%) and machinery manufacturing (-3,500; -2.5%).
On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was down in manufacturing (-24,700; -1.6%) in June, led by declines in transportation equipment manufacturing (-6,200; -3.1%), machinery manufacturing (-5,800; -4.0%) and plastics and rubber products manufacturing (-4,000; -4.0%).
Retail trade records payroll employment decline in June
Payroll employment in retail trade decreased by 8,100 (-0.4%) in June, following a growth of 1,000 (+0.1%) in May and a decline of 1,400 (-0.1%) in April. From January to June, payroll employment in this sector recorded a general downward trend, with an overall decline of 23,800 (-1.2%).
The main contributors to the downward trend from January to June were general merchandise retailers (-7,800; -3.0%), food and beverage retailers (-7,400; -1.4%) and building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-4,500; -3.1%).
Year over year, payroll employment in retail trade was down 26,900 (-1.3%) in June.
Payroll employment decreases in construction since January
Payroll employment in construction decreased by 5,200 (-0.4%) in June. The monthly decline was led by specialty trade contractors (-2,600; -0.4%), non-residential building construction (-1,100; -0.9%) and residential building construction (-900; -0.5%).
From December 2024 to June 2025, payroll employment in construction was down overall by 13,000 (-1.1%). The declines over this period were driven by specialty trade contractors (-5,600; -0.8%), heavy and civil engineering construction (-4,000; -2.3%) and residential building construction (-3,900; -2.3%).
Health care and social assistance records payroll employment decline in June
Payroll employment in health care and social assistance decreased by 3,700 (-0.2%) in June, following consecutive monthly increases in April (+10,600; +0.4%) and May (+5,400; +0.2%). Payroll employment in this sector generally trended upward from August 2022 to June 2025, with a gain of 231,600 (+10.4%) over this period.
The overall decline in monthly payroll employment recorded in health care and social assistance in June was attributable to nursing and residential care facilities (-2,300; -0.4%) and social assistance (-900; -0.2%).
Payroll employment gains in public administration in June partially offset declines in May
Payroll employment in public administration increased by 3,800 (+0.3%) in June, partially offsetting a loss recorded in May (-6,800; -0.5%). The monthly increase in June was attributable to local, municipal and regional public administration (+4,300; +0.8%).
On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in public administration was up 18,600 (+1.4%) in June, driven by a gain in local, municipal and regional administration (+24,600; +5.0%). Federal government public administration (-11,900; -3.1%) was the sole subsector to record a year-over-year decline.
Average weekly earnings increase both on a month-over-month and year-over-year basis
Year over year, average weekly earnings were up 3.7% to $1,302 in June, following a 3.3% increase in May. 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.
Month over month, average weekly earnings were up 0.7% in June.
Average weekly hours worked (33.4 hours) were little changed in June both on a month-over-month and year-over-year basis.
Job vacancies edge up in June
In June, job vacancies in Canada edged up by 12,100 (+2.5%) to 492,000, partially offsetting the cumulative decline recorded in May and April (-37,100; -7.2%). Year over year, job vacancies declined by 59,200 (-10.7%) in June.
The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—was 2.8% in June, up from 2.7% the previous month. Year over year, the rate was down by 0.3 percentage points from June 2024 (3.1%).
Infographic 1
Job vacancy rate increases in June after two consecutive months of decline
There were 3.2 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in June 2025, down from 3.3 in May. Year over year, the ratio was up by 0.6 in June. This increase was the result of an increase in the number of unemployed persons (+128,000; +9.0%) coupled with a decrease in job vacancies (-58,400; -10.7%). Over the same period, the unemployment rate increased from 6.4% to 6.9% (according to the Labour Force Survey). The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio excludes the territories for consistency with the available Labour Force Survey data.
Job vacancies in construction increase in June
In June, construction was the only sector to record a significant monthly change in the number of job vacancies. Job vacancies in construction increased by 4,600 (+13.1%) to 39,500, partially offsetting the decline in May (-5,400; -13.4%). In June, job vacancies in the sector were down by 4,200 (-9.7%) compared with June 2024 and down by more than half (-49,500; -55.6%) since the peak recorded in April 2022 (89,000).
The job vacancy rate in construction was 3.2% in June 2025, up from 2.9% in May but down 0.4 percentage points from June 2024 (3.6%).
Year over year, job vacancies decrease in 11 sectors
Year over year, job vacancies were down in 11 sectors in June. The largest declines were recorded in health care and social assistance (-22,400; -18.5%), transportation and warehousing (-8,000; -24.7%) and retail trade (-7,100; -13.5%). Finance and insurance (+3,800; +21.8%) was the only sector to record an increase.
Chart 3
Year-over-year job vacancies in June decrease in 11 sectors
Job vacancies in health care and social assistance decrease year over year
In June, job vacancies in health care and social assistance were little changed, at 98,500. This was the sixth consecutive month of little change.
Year over year, job vacancies in health care and social assistance decreased by 22,400 (-18.5%) in June to the lowest level since March 2021 (97,400). In June 2025, vacancies in this sector remained the highest amongst all sectors.
The job vacancy rate in health care and social assistance in June was 3.9%, unchanged from May but down 0.9 percentage points from June 2024 (4.8%).
Chart 4
Top six sectors with the most job vacancies in June
Job vacancies increase in Alberta
In June, Alberta (+8,100; +13.5%) was the only province to record a significant increase in the number of job vacancies. All other provinces were little changed.
Year over year, the job vacancy rate decreased in seven provinces in June. The largest decreases were recorded in Prince Edward Island (-1.3 percentage points to 2.3%), Manitoba (-0.9 percentage points to 2.8%) and British Columbia (-0.7 percentage points to 2.9%).
In June, among the provinces, the job vacancy rate was highest in Nova Scotia (3.1%), Alberta (3.1%) and Saskatchewan (3.0%). In contrast, Newfoundland and Labrador (2.2%), Prince Edward Island (2.3%), New Brunswick (2.6%) and Ontario (2.6%) recorded the lowest vacancy rates.
Map 1
Job vacancy rate and year-over-year percentage point change by province, June 2025
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 people 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 and 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.
The base-year effect refers to the impact that trends from 12 months earlier (the 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
The 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 September 15, 2025.
Next release
The second quarter of 2025 JVWS results, which will provide insights into job vacancies by subsector, vacancies by occupation and offered wages, will be released on September 16, 2025. July 2025 data for SEPH and JVWS will be released on September 25.
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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