What is the Labour Force Survey?
Every month, Statistics Canada produces timely and reliable estimates of employment and unemployment for Canada, the Provinces and Territories. It also provides other labour market information about Canada's working age population such as hours of work, industry, occupation, and wages.
These important data are based on results from the Labour Force Survey. Your household is among 2500 others randomly selected to represent Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories in this survey.
Every member of your household represents approximately 20 Canadians in the Territories of the same age and sex, therefore your participation in the Labour Force Survey has an importance that extends far beyond your household.
Why is it important?
A reliable way to take the country's economic temperature is to look at its employment and unemployment data. The Labour Force Survey does exactly that. Our governments, banks, labour unions, businesses and social agencies use Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey information to make important decisions that affect the day-to-day lives of all Canadians. This also includes those who are retired or not in the labour force.
What does participating in this survey involve?
A Statistics Canada interviewer will contact you to arrange a time that is most convenient for you to complete your survey. Once every three months for a period of two years, you will be asked to complete a short survey about employment and unemployment for each member of your household aged 15 and over. Following the first interview, you may be offered the possibility to complete the subsequent surveys online.
How long has Labour Force Survey data been collected in the Territories?
Residents of Yukon have been participating in the Labour Force Survey for over 30 years. In 2000, coverage was extended to residents of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
In 2021, the unemployment rate for Yukon (5.5%) and Northwest Territories (5.2%) was lower than in the provinces (7.5%), while it was higher in Nunavut (10.1%).
What about confidentiality?
Your household's confidentiality is our number one priority, which is the reason every Statistics Canada employee takes an oath of secrecy. Information that could identify an individual is never released to anyone, not even to other government departments. The information you provide will be kept confidential, and used only for statistical and research purposes.
Contact information:
If you wish to verify the interviewer's identity, to complete the questionnaire by phone, or for survey related enquiries, contact us 7 days a week, including evenings (except holidays): 1-833-977-8287 (TTY: 1-866-753-7083*).
For technical assistance or other enquiries, contact us Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) 1-877-949-9492 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629*) or Email: infostats@statcan.gc.ca.
*If you use an operator-assisted relay service, you can call us during regular business hours. You do not need to authorize the operator to contact us.
Visit Labour Force Survey (LFS)
| Yukon | Northwest Territories | Nunavut | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population 15 years and over | 32,800 | 34,000 | 25,100 |
|
Persons in the labour force
|
23,700 | 24,900 | 14,600 |
|
Employed
|
22,400 | 23,600 | 13,100 |
|
Unemployed
|
1,300 | 1,300 | 1,500 |
|
Persons not in the labour force
|
9,100 | 9,100 | 10,500 |
|
Unemployment rate (%)
|
5.5 | 5.2 | 10.1 |
| Source: Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0393-01 | |||
| Percentage working full time | |
|---|---|
| Provinces | 81.6% |
| Yukon | 83.9% |
| Northwest Territories | 87.3% |
| Nunavut | 85.5% |
| Source: Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0393-01 | |
| 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average of 10 provinces | 9.5% | 7.5% |
| Yukon | 5.2% | 5.5% |
| Northwest Territories | 8.5% | 5.2% |
| Nunavut | 14.3% | 10.1% |
| Source: Labour Force Survey | ||