Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Appendix A: Sub-provincial geography descriptions

Labour market information from the LFS is available for a variety of geographic levels. While designed to provide highly reliable data at the national and provincial levels, key labour market estimates are also available for census metropolitan areas, economic regions and employment insurance economic regions.

LFS estimates are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. As a result, estimates will show more variability than trends observed over longer periods of time. Estimates for smaller geographic areas also have more variability. For an explanation of sampling variability of estimates and how to use standard errors to assess this variability, see Section 7 of this publication.

Census metropolitan area (CMA)

A CMA is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000, based on data from the current Census of Population Program, of which 50,000 or more must live in the core based on adjusted data from the previous Census of Population Program.

The CMAs are based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021 - Volume I, The Classification.

A list of the 41 CMAs and their associated census subdivisions are available in the Variant of Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021 for Statistical area classification.

Please note that Indian reserves, although geographically part of certain CMAs, are excluded from the LFS.

Economic region (ER)

An economic region is a grouping of complete census divisions (with one exception in Ontario) created as a standard geographic unit for analysis of regional economic activity. In the case of Prince Edward Island, the province constitutes one economic region.

The composition of economic regions is determined through a consultative process with the provinces, except for Quebec, where economic regions (régions administratives) are designated by law.

The current boundaries are based on the 2021 Standard Geographical Classification (SGC). Excluding the territories, the LFS publishes estimates for 66 ERs, seven of which are combined for data quality purposes. Combined ERs include: South Coast-Burin Peninsula and Notre Dame-Central Bonavista Bay (Newfoundland and Labrador); Prince Edward Island; Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec (Quebec), Parklands and North (Manitoba); Prince Albert and Northern Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan); Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River (Alberta); North Coast and Nechako (British Columbia).

Employment insurance economic region (EIER)

In compliance with the Employment Insurance Act, the Labour Force Survey publishes seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for employment insurance economic regions (EIERs). These rates are used to determine eligibility, benefit entitlement and weekly amount of benefits for persons living within a particular EIER.

Unemployment rates for the EI program also contain a specific adjustment to account for Indigenous peoples living on reserves. As such, estimates for EIER may not match estimates published in other tables.

The boundaries of these regions are determined by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and are currently based on 1996 Census boundaries, with the exception of those in Prince Edward Island and in the territories, which respect the 2011 Census boundaries.

For geographic descriptions and maps of employment insurance economic regions, see the ESDC website.

The employment insurance economic regions are outlined below by province.

Newfoundland and Labrador

01. St. John’s; 02. Newfoundland and Labrador.

Prince Edward Island

65. Charlottetown; 66. Prince Edward Island.

Nova Scotia

04. Eastern Nova Scotia; 05. Western Nova Scotia; 06. Halifax.

New Brunswick

07. Fredericton–Moncton–Saint John; 08. Madawaska–Charlotte; 09. Restigouche–Albert.

Quebec

10. Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine; 11. Québec; 12. Trois-Rivières; 13. South Central Quebec; 14. Sherbrooke; 15. Montérégie; 16. Montreal; 17. Central Quebec; 18. North Western Quebec; 19. Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore; 20. Hull; 21. Chicoutimi–Jonquière.

Ontario

22. Ottawa; 23. Eastern Ontario; 24. Kingston; 25. Central Ontario; 26. Oshawa; 27. Toronto; 28. Hamilton; 29. St. Catharines; 30. London; 31. Niagara; 32. Windsor; 33. Kitchener; 34. Huron; 35. South Central Ontario; 36. Sudbury; 37. Thunder Bay; 38. Northern Ontario.

Manitoba

39. Winnipeg; 40. Southern Manitoba; 41. Northern Manitoba.

Saskatchewan

42. Regina; 43. Saskatoon; 44. Southern Saskatchewan; 45. Northern Saskatchewan.

Alberta

46. Calgary; 47. Edmonton; 48. Northern Alberta; 49. Southern Alberta.

British Columbia

50. Southern Interior British Columbia; 51. Abbotsford; 52. Vancouver; 53. Victoria; 54. Southern Coastal British Columbia; 55. Northern British Columbia.

Yukon

59. Whitehorse; 60. Yukon (excluding Whitehorse).

Northwest Territories

61. Yellowknife; 62. Northwest Territories (excluding Yellowknife).

Nunavut

63. Iqaluit; 64. Nunavut (excluding Iqaluit).