Archived - Labour force characteristics by province, territory and economic region, annual, inactive^{1, 2, 3, 4}

To ensure respondent confidentiality, estimates below a certain threshold are suppressed. For Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia suppression is applied to all data below 1,500. The threshold level for Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan is 500, while in Prince Edward Island, estimates under 200 are supressed. For census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and economic regions (ERs), use their respective provincial suppression levels mentioned above. Estimates are based on smaller sample sizes the more detailed the table becomes, which could result in lower data quality.

Since 1992, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) has been conducted in the Yukon, using an alternative methodology that accommodates some of the operational difficulties inherent to remote locales. These estimates are not included in the national totals. In 1995, the LFS in the Yukon underwent a sample redesign. One result of the redesign was that the covered population increased from 85% to 92%, which is reflected by the sharp increase in the three month moving averages estimates of January, February and March of 1995 for all the level estimates. Users are therefore warned to be cautious when comparing estimates before January 1995 to estimates for January 1995 and forward.

Since 2001, the Labour force survey has been administered in the Northwest Territories, using an alternative methodology that accommodates some of the operational difficulties inherent to remote locales. These estimates are not included in national totals.

Since 2004, the Labour force survey (LFS) has been administered in Nunavut, using an alternative methodology that accommodates some of the operational difficulties inherent to remote locales. These estimates are not included in national totals. From 2004 to 2007, estimates represent about 70% of all Nunavut residents aged 15 and over. Starting in 2008, coverage was extended to 92%. Because of the large difference in coverage, users are recommended not to compare estimates prior to 2008 with data afterwards. Estimates from 2004 to 2007 are based on the 10 largest communities in Nunavut: Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Baker Lake, Arviat, Pond Inlet, Cape Dorset, Pangnirtung, Igloolik. Estimates from 2008 to present cover the above communities as well as: Taloyoak, Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, Coral Harbour, Repulse Bay, Qikiqtarjuaq, Arctic Bay, Hall Beach, Clyde River.

The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. The unemployment rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, etc.) is the number unemployed in that group expressed as a percentage of the labour force for that group. Estimates are percentages, rounded to the nearest tenth.

An economic region is a geographical unit generally composed of several census divisions within a province. While 73 regions are defined for the purposes of sampling, some areas are too small to enable production of independent estimates from the survey. These small regions are grouped with a neighbouring region with similar economic characteristics. In the case of Prince Edward Island, the province constitutes one economic region. For geographic descriptions of economic regions, refer to the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (catalogue number 71-543-GIE).

Estimates for Canada are a sum of the provincial totals and exclude estimates from Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

As a result of wildfires affecting northern Alberta, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) data for the census agglomeration of Wood Buffalo were not collected from May to July 2016. Using standard statistical techniques, missing data were replaced by substituted values taken from similar respondents in surrounding areas. These substituted values were used in the calculation of 2016 annual averages for the economic region of Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake.