Table 1 
Labour force characteristics by age group and gender1, seasonally adjusted 

Labour force characteristics by age group and gender, seasonally adjusted
  February
2026
March
2026
Standard error2 February to March 2026 March 2025 to March 2026 February to March 2026 March 2025 to March 2026
  thousands (except rates)thousands (except rates)thousands (except rates) change in thousands (except rates)change in thousands (except rates) % change% change
15 years and over, total - gender              
Population 34,735.5 34,746.7 ... 11.2 306.7 0.0 0.9
Labour force 22,551.5 22,566.6 32.5 15.1 81.8 0.1 0.4
Employment 21,037.3 21,051.4 31.8 14.1 87.1 0.1 0.4
Full-time employment 17,216.2 17,215.1 42.0 -1.1 104.3 -0.0 0.6
Part-time employment 3,821.1 3,836.3 38.8 15.2 -17.2 0.4 -0.4
Unemployment 1,514.2 1,515.2 27.8 1.0 -5.4 0.1 -0.4
Participation rate 64.9 64.9 0.1 0.0 -0.4 ... ...
Unemployment rate 6.7 6.7 0.1 0.0 -0.1 ... ...
Employment rate 60.6 60.6 0.1 0.0 -0.3 ... ...
15 to 24 years, total - gender              
Population 4,981.2 4,974.7 ... -6.5 -35.8 -0.1 -0.7
Labour force 3,112.8 3,120.1 19.3 7.3 -26.2 0.2 -0.8
Employment 2,675.3 2,688.5 17.4 13.2 -19.6 0.5 -0.7
Full-time employment 1,328.8 1,318.5 21.0 -10.3 -36.2 -0.8 -2.7
Part-time employment 1,346.5 1,370.0 22.0 23.5 16.6 1.7 1.2
Unemployment 437.5 431.5 16.0 -6.0 -6.8 -1.4 -1.6
Participation rate 62.5 62.7 0.4 0.2 -0.1 ... ...
Unemployment rate 14.1 13.8 0.5 -0.3 -0.1 ... ...
Employment rate 53.7 54.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 ... ...
25 years and over, total - gender              
Population 29,754.3 29,772.0 ... 17.7 342.6 0.1 1.2
Labour force 19,438.6 19,446.5 26.1 7.9 108.0 0.0 0.6
Employment 18,362.0 18,362.8 26.4 0.8 106.6 0.0 0.6
Full-time employment 15,887.4 15,896.6 36.4 9.2 140.5 0.1 0.9
Part-time employment 2,474.6 2,466.2 31.9 -8.4 -33.9 -0.3 -1.4
Unemployment 1,076.7 1,083.7 22.4 7.0 1.4 0.7 0.1
Participation rate 65.3 65.3 0.1 0.0 -0.4 ... ...
Unemployment rate 5.5 5.6 0.1 0.1 0.0 ... ...
Employment rate 61.7 61.7 0.1 0.0 -0.3 ... ...
25 years and over, men+              
Population 14,677.4 14,685.3 ... 7.9 160.4 0.1 1.1
Labour force 10,291.4 10,299.7 17.2 8.3 42.9 0.1 0.4
Employment 9,718.1 9,724.0 18.3 5.9 68.5 0.1 0.7
Full-time employment 8,848.5 8,846.3 24.5 -2.2 55.2 -0.0 0.6
Part-time employment 869.7 877.7 20.7 8.0 13.3 0.9 1.5
Unemployment 573.3 575.7 16.2 2.4 -25.6 0.4 -4.3
Participation rate 70.1 70.1 0.1 0.0 -0.5 ... ...
Unemployment rate 5.6 5.6 0.2 0.0 -0.3 ... ...
Employment rate 66.2 66.2 0.1 0.0 -0.3 ... ...
25 years and over, women+              
Population 15,077.0 15,086.6 ... 9.6 182.1 0.1 1.2
Labour force 9,147.3 9,146.8 18.5 -0.5 65.1 -0.0 0.7
Employment 8,643.9 8,638.9 18.3 -5.0 38.2 -0.1 0.4
Full-time employment 7,038.9 7,050.3 26.1 11.4 85.3 0.2 1.2
Part-time employment 1,604.9 1,588.6 24.3 -16.3 -47.1 -1.0 -2.9
Unemployment 503.4 508.0 15.3 4.6 27.0 0.9 5.6
Participation rate 60.7 60.6 0.1 -0.1 -0.3 ... ...
Unemployment rate 5.5 5.6 0.2 0.1 0.3 ... ...
Employment rate 57.3 57.3 0.1 0.0 -0.4 ... ...
25 to 54 years, total - gender              
Population 16,813.3 16,816.5 ... 3.2 126.5 0.0 0.8
Labour force 14,820.9 14,840.4 25.2 19.5 69.7 0.1 0.5
Employment 13,971.4 13,982.3 26.8 10.9 54.8 0.1 0.4
Unemployment 849.5 858.1 20.8 8.6 14.9 1.0 1.8
Participation rate 88.1 88.2 0.2 0.1 -0.3 ... ...
Unemployment rate 5.7 5.8 0.1 0.1 0.1 ... ...
Employment rate 83.1 83.1 0.2 0.0 -0.3 ... ...
25 to 54 years, men+              
Population 8,507.6 8,509.0 ... 1.4 62.2 0.0 0.7
Labour force 7,758.7 7,773.7 16.3 15.0 18.5 0.2 0.2
Employment 7,316.5 7,322.9 18.3 6.4 28.4 0.1 0.4
Unemployment 442.3 450.7 15.0 8.4 -10.1 1.9 -2.2
Participation rate 91.2 91.4 0.2 0.2 -0.4 ... ...
Unemployment rate 5.7 5.8 0.2 0.1 -0.1 ... ...
Employment rate 86.0 86.1 0.2 0.1 -0.3 ... ...
25 to 54 years, women+              
Population 8,305.7 8,307.5 ... 1.8 64.3 0.0 0.8
Labour force 7,062.2 7,066.7 18.2 4.5 51.2 0.1 0.7
Employment 6,654.9 6,659.4 18.8 4.5 26.3 0.1 0.4
Unemployment 407.3 407.3 14.2 0.0 24.9 0.0 6.5
Participation rate 85.0 85.1 0.2 0.1 0.0 ... ...
Unemployment rate 5.8 5.8 0.2 0.0 0.3 ... ...
Employment rate 80.1 80.2 0.2 0.1 -0.3 ... ...
55 years and over, total - gender              
Population 12,941.0 12,955.4 ... 14.4 216.0 0.1 1.7
Labour force 4,617.7 4,606.2 21.2 -11.5 38.5 -0.2 0.8
Employment 4,390.6 4,380.5 21.1 -10.1 51.9 -0.2 1.2
Unemployment 227.1 225.6 11.0 -1.5 -13.5 -0.7 -5.6
Participation rate 35.7 35.6 0.2 -0.1 -0.3 ... ...
Unemployment rate 4.9 4.9 0.2 0.0 -0.3 ... ...
Employment rate 33.9 33.8 0.2 -0.1 -0.2 ... ...
55 years and over, men+              
Population 6,169.7 6,176.3 ... 6.6 98.2 0.1 1.6
Labour force 2,532.7 2,526.1 14.1 -6.6 24.5 -0.3 1.0
Employment 2,401.7 2,401.1 14.3 -0.6 40.0 -0.0 1.7
Unemployment 131.0 125.0 8.0 -6.0 -15.5 -4.6 -11.0
Participation rate 41.1 40.9 0.2 -0.2 -0.3 ... ...
Unemployment rate 5.2 4.9 0.3 -0.3 -0.7 ... ...
Employment rate 38.9 38.9 0.2 0.0 0.1 ... ...
55 years and over, women+              
Population 6,771.3 6,779.1 ... 7.8 117.8 0.1 1.8
Labour force 2,085.1 2,080.1 14.6 -5.0 13.9 -0.2 0.7
Employment 1,988.9 1,979.5 14.5 -9.4 11.9 -0.5 0.6
Unemployment 96.1 100.6 7.3 4.5 2.0 4.7 2.0
Participation rate 30.8 30.7 0.2 -0.1 -0.3 ... ...
Unemployment rate 4.6 4.8 0.3 0.2 0.0 ... ...
Employment rate 29.4 29.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.3 ... ...
...
not applicable
Note(s):
The sum of individual categories may not always add up to the total as a result of rounding.
Source(s):
Date modified: