Payroll employment, earnings and hours

Between June 2009 and June 2010, the average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees rose by 4.0% to $853.50. This was the fastest year-over-year increase since February 2008.

In recent months, the pace of growth in earnings has increased. June was the seventh consecutive month for which the year-over-year increase was at or above 2.3%. During the previous eight months, year-over-year increases had been below 1.8%.

Average weekly earnings by industry

Among Canada's largest industrial sectors, growth in average weekly earnings from June 2009 to June 2010 was above the national average of 4.0% in educational services (+11.5%), accommodation and food services (+11.5%), administration and support, waste management and remediation services (+10.0%), retail trade (+5.9%), manufacturing (+4.1%) and professional, scientific and technical services (+4.1%).

Among the largest industrial sectors, manufacturing has had a notable shift in average weekly earnings since the fall of 2009. Between July 2008 and October 2009, earnings in this sector declined by 6.1%. However, since October 2009, they have increased by 5.2%, nearly recovering this loss.

Among the larger manufacturing industries, this earnings shift was most notable in plastics and rubber products, paper, machinery, and chemical manufacturing. Average weekly earnings in manufacturing were $946.93 in June, one of the highest monthly levels since July 2008.

There has also been a shift in earnings in administration and support, waste management and remediation services. From October 2008 to May 2009, earnings in this sector fell by 8.0%. Since that time, earnings have increased by 12.2% to a high of $724.09. The shift from decline to growth in this sector has been widespread among a number of industries, including investigation and security services, employment services, office administrative services, and business support services.

Average weekly earnings by province

Between June 2009 and June 2010, average weekly earnings increased in every province. Growth was above the national average in seven provinces, led by Newfoundland and Labrador (+6.1%). Manitoba (+2.2%) had the slowest rate of growth.

Since August 2009, the start of the increase in payroll employment, average weekly earnings have gone up nationally by 3.6%. Over the same period, earnings rose near or above this national average in all provinces, with the exception of British Columbia (+2.4%), New Brunswick (+1.3%) and Manitoba (+1.2%).

Non-farm payroll employment by industry

Non-farm payroll employment increased by 0.1% (+20,400) in June from the previous month. With June's gains, the number of payroll employees has increased by 1.2% (+172,300) since August 2009.

Payroll employment increased by 1.3% (+9,200) in administrative and support, waste management and remediation services in June, offsetting most of the losses from May. Employment in this sector has increased by 2.8% (+20,000) since August 2009. Job gains in June were particularly notable in employment services.

In accommodation and food services, payroll employment increased by 0.7% (+6,900) in June, ending a run of three consecutive months of losses. June's job gains were mainly in limited-service eating places and special food services (such as caterers and street vendors).

Manufacturing employment increased by 0.3% (+4,300) in June, the sixth modest increase in seven months. These gains were shared among a number of manufacturing industries, particularly meat products, cement and concrete, pulp, paper and paperboard mills, and motor vehicles. Since August 2009, the number of factory jobs has risen by 1.1% (+15,600).

In June, payroll employment in health care and social assistance increased by 0.2% (+2,500), following declines in the previous two months. June's gains occurred mainly in nursing and residential care facilities, which were partly offset by losses in hospitals. Since August 2009, the number of payroll jobs in health care and social assistance has increased by 1.7% (+27,000).

Payroll employment in construction fell by 0.4% (-3,200) in June. These losses were mainly within heavy and civil engineering construction. Despite the monthly loss, the number of construction payroll jobs has increased by 3.8% (+30,300) since August 2009.

Payroll jobs in retail trade fell by 0.2% (-4,400) in June, with losses mainly in building material and supplies dealers and grocery stores. Since August 2009, employment in retail trade has declined by 0.6% (-11,900), largely due to declines in both May and June.

Hours worked and average hours worked by salaried and hourly wage employees

Total hours worked by hourly and salaried employees increased by 0.1% in June, the fifth advance in six months. Average weekly hours worked by hourly and salaried employees amounted 32.9 hours in June, unchanged from May.

Available on CANSIM: tables 281-0023 to 281-0039 and 281-0041 to 281-0046.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2612.

Detailed industry data, data by size of enterprise based on employment, and other labour market indicators will be available soon in the monthly publication Employment, Earnings and Hours (72-002-X, free).

Data on payroll employment, earnings and hours for July will be released on September 24.

For more information, or to order data, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-873-8788; 613-951-4090; labour@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about revisions, concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jason Gilmore (613-951-7118), Labour Statistics Division.