Labour Force Survey

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Employment edged up by 15,000 in November. At the same time, there was a notable decline in the number of youths participating in the labour market. As a result, the unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 7.6%, the lowest since January 2009.

Since November 2009, employment has risen by 318,000 (+1.9%).

In November, part-time gains were partly offset by decreases in full time. Over the past year, part-time employment has grown by 4.0% (+127,000), a faster pace than the 1.4% growth in full time (+192,000).

November's employment gains in health care and social assistance; retail and wholesale trade; and accommodation and food services were mostly offset by declines in manufacturing as well as in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing.

Ontario was the only province with a notable employment increase in November. Quebec and Manitoba had employment declines in the month, while the other provinces showed little change.

While employment for youths aged 15 to 24 was unchanged, their unemployment levels fell. This pushed the youth unemployment rate down 1.4 percentage points to 13.6%.

Gains in some service sectors, decline in manufacturing

In November, health care and social assistance employment rose by 28,000. This industry has seen gains of 120,000 (+6.1%) since November 2009, one of the highest rates of growth of all major industries.

Employment in wholesale and retail trade increased by 26,000. With this increase, employment in this industry is up 57,000 (+2.2%) compared with a year earlier.

Accommodation and food services employment was up 17,000 in November, following five months of little change.

Manufacturing employment fell by 29,000 in November, bringing employment in this industry to 1.73 million, or 47,000 (-2.6%) below its level of 12 months earlier.

With this decline, manufacturing's share of total employment continued its long-term downward trend, reaching 10% in November, the lowest since comparable data became available in 1976. This was down from 15% in the early 2000s and 19% in 1976.

Employment decreased by 23,000 in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing. Compared with November 2009, levels were down 43,000 (-3.8%).

Although construction was little changed in November, employment in this industry has been on an upward trend for more than a year, with gains of 89,000 (+7.5%) over the past 12 months. Employment growth in construction was the second fastest of all the major industry groups over the past year, behind natural resources (+7.9%).

While there was employment growth in the public sector in November, there was little change among private sector employees and the self-employed. Over the previous 12 months, employment growth in the public sector (+3.1% or 109,000) led that of the private sector (+2.5% or 266,000). Over the same period, self-employment fell by 2.1% (-56,000).

Employment gains in Ontario

Ontario's employment level rose by 31,000 in November, pushing the unemployment rate down 0.4 percentage points to 8.2%, the lowest since January 2009. With November's employment increase, the number of workers in Ontario grew by 2.1% (+140,000) from a year earlier, just above the national growth rate of 1.9%.

In November, employment in Quebec edged down by 14,000. Despite this decline, Quebec employment was up 78,000 (+2.0%) from a year earlier. The unemployment rate was 7.9% in November.

Manitoba's employment level fell by 3,000 in November, partly dampening its 12-month gain of 13,000 (+2.1%). The unemployment rate, at 5.1%, remained the lowest of all provinces.

While employment was unchanged in Alberta, a decline in the number of people looking for work pushed the unemployment rate down 0.4 percentage points to 5.6%.

Employment in British Columbia was little changed in November. With fewer people searching for work, the unemployment rate declined by 0.5 percentage points to 6.9%.

Fewer youths looking for work

While employment among youths was unchanged in November, there were fewer youths looking for work. As a result, their unemployment rate fell 1.4 percentage points to 13.6%. Since June, the youth participation rate has declined 2.1 percentage points to 63.2% in November, the lowest since August 1999.

Labour market conditions were little changed among other demographic groups in November.

Available on CANSIM: tables 282-0001 to 282-0042, 282-0047 to 282-0064 and 282-0069 to 282-0108.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3701.

A more detailed summary, Labour Force Information (71-001-X, free) is now available online for the week ending November 13. From the Key resource module of our website under Publications, choose All subjects, then Labour. LAN and bulk prices are available on request. The DVD-ROM Labour Force Historical Review, 2009 (71F0004X, $209), is now available. See How to order products.

Data tables are also now available online. From the Subject module of our website, choose Labour.

The next release of the Labour Force Survey will be on January 7.

For general information, or to order data, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-873-8788; 613-951-4090; labour@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jason Gilmore (613-951-7118; jason.gilmore@statcan.gc.ca) or Lahouaria Yssaad (613-951-0627; lahouaria.yssaad@statcan.gc.ca), Labour Statistics Division.