Labour Force Survey, April 2024
Released: 2024-05-10
Highlights
Employment increased by 90,000 (+0.4%) in April, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.1%. The employment rate held steady at 61.4%, following six consecutive monthly declines.
In April, employment rose among core-aged men (25 to 54 years old) (+41,000; +0.6%) and women (+27,000; +0.4%) as well as for male youth aged 15 to 24 (+39,000; +2.8%). There were fewer women aged 55 and older employed (-16,000; -0.8%), while employment was little changed among men aged 55 and older and female youth (aged 15 to 24).
Employment gains in April were driven by part-time employment (+50,000; +1.4%).
Employment increased in April in professional, scientific and technical services (+26,000; +1.3%), accommodation and food services (+24,000; +2.2%), health care and social assistance (+17,000; +0.6%) and natural resources (+7,700; +2.3%), while it fell in utilities (-5,000; -3.1%).
Employment increased in Ontario (+25,000; +0.3%), British Columbia (+23,000; +0.8%), Quebec (+19,000 +0.4%) and New Brunswick (+7,800; +2.0%) in April. It was little changed in the other provinces.
Total hours worked rose 0.8% in April and were up 1.2% compared with 12 months earlier.
Average hourly wages among employees increased 4.7% (+$1.57 to $34.95) on a year-over-year basis in April, following growth of 5.1% in March (not seasonally adjusted).
In the spotlight: Over one in four workers (28.4%) have to come into work or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month.
Employment rises in April
Employment rose by 90,000 (+0.4%) in April, following little change in March.
The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—was unchanged at 61.4% in April, following six consecutive months of declines. On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate was down 0.9 percentage points, as growth in the population aged 15 and older in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (+3.3%; +1.1 million) outpaced employment growth (+1.9%; +377,000).
Employment gains in April were driven by part-time employment (+50,000; +1.4%). On a year-over-year basis, part-time employment was up by 2.9% (+104,000) in April, while full-time employment was up by 1.7% (+273,000).
Chart 1
Employment rate holds steady in April after six consecutive monthly declines
Gains in April driven by private sector employees
Private sector employment rose in April (+50,000; +0.4%) following four consecutive months of little change. There were also more people employed in the public sector (+26,000; +0.6%). On a year-over-year basis, public sector employment was up by 208,000 in April (+4.9%), outpacing growth in the private sector (+190,000; +1.4%).
Self-employment was little changed in April, both in the month and on a year-over-year basis.
Employment rises among core-aged men and women as well as male youth
Employment rose among core-aged men in April (+41,000; +0.6%), the third consecutive monthly increase. Gains in April were driven by full-time work (+45,000; +0.7%). The employment rate for core-aged men was 87.3% in April, little changed in the month but down 0.5 percentage points on a year-over-year basis.
Among core-aged women, employment increased by 27,000 (+0.4%) in April, driven by part-time work (+22,000; +2.2%). Despite the increase in part-time employment in the month, more core-aged women worked full-time compared with 12 months earlier (+148,000; +2.8%), while the number working part-time was little changed. The employment rate for core-aged women was 81.4%, virtually unchanged in April but down 0.4 percentage points on a year-over-year basis.
Employment among youth aged 15 to 24 rose by 40,000 (+1.5%) in April, reflecting an increase among young men (+39,000; +2.8%). This was the first monthly increase for youth employment since December 2022. The youth employment rate in April (55.5%) was up 0.5 percentage points from March, but was down 3.7 percentage points compared with the same month in 2023. On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate was down 4.9 percentage points to 55.2% for young women in April 2024 and down 2.7 percentage points to 55.7% for young men.
There were fewer women aged 55 and older employed in April (-16,000; -0.8%), lowering their employment rate 0.3 percentage points to 29.8%. For men aged 55 and older, employment was little changed and their employment rate was virtually unchanged at 39.9%.
Unemployment rate holds steady in April
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.1% in April, following an increase of 0.3 percentage points in March. The rate in April was up 1.0 percentage points compared with 12 months earlier.
There were 1.3 million unemployed people in April, little changed from the previous month (+17,000; +1.3%). This follows a cumulative increase of 96,000 (+7.8%) in February and March. Compared with 12 months earlier, the number of unemployed people was up by 256,000 (+23.7%) in April.
The labour force participation rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who were employed or looking for work—rose 0.1 percentage points to 65.4% in April. This was the first increase since June 2023.
Chart 2
Unemployment rate unchanged at 6.1% in April
Unemployment rates up across all major demographic groups over the previous 12 months
While the overall unemployment rate was unchanged from March to April 2024, it decreased by 0.1 percentage points among people aged 25 to 54 and rose 0.2 percentage points among people aged 55 and older. The unemployment rate was little changed among youth.
Compared with 12 months earlier, unemployment rates were higher among all major demographic groups. The largest increase was among youth; their rate increased 2.9 percentage points to 12.8%, marking the highest unemployment rate for youth since July 2016, excluding 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was up for both young women (+3.5 percentage points to 12.6%) and young men (+2.3 percentage points to 13.0%).
Compared with 12 months earlier, the unemployment rate in April for those in the core-aged group was up by 0.9 percentage points to 5.4% among men and up by 0.7 percentage points to 4.9% among women.
The unemployment rate also increased among people aged 55 and older on a year-over-year basis. It rose more for women aged 55 and older (+1.0 percentage points to 4.7%) than for men (+0.4 percentage points to 4.7%).
Unemployment rates up on a year-over-year basis among largest racialized groups
In each of the three largest racialized groups in Canada, the unemployment rates for those of core working age (25 to 54 years old) were up on a year-over-year basis.
In the 12 months to April, the unemployment rate rose by 4.4 percentage points to 11.2% for core-aged Black Canadians, by 2.1 percentage points to 6.8% for core-aged South Asians, and by 1.3 percentage points to 7.5% for core-aged Chinese Canadians. In comparison, the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 4.2% over the same period among non-racialized core-aged people (three-month moving averages; not seasonally adjusted).
Employment increases in service-producing industries, led by professional, scientific and technical services
In professional, scientific and technical services, employment increased by 26,000 (+1.3%) in April, following a decrease in March (-20,000; -1.0%). Over the past 12 months, employment in this industry rose by 88,000 (+4.7%).
There were more people working in accommodation and food services (+24,000; +2.2%) in April, largely offsetting a decrease in March (-27,000; -2.4%). On a year-over-year basis, employment in this industry was little changed in April and remains below the average employment level observed from 2017 to 2019 (-99,000; -8.1%).
Employment in health care and social assistance increased by 17,000 (+0.6%) in April 2024, building on an increase of 40,000 (+1.5%) in March. Over the past 12 months, the fastest employment growth has been among people working in hospitals (+9.8%), followed by social assistance (+8.6%) and nursing and residential care facilities (+8.3%) (not seasonally adjusted).
Chart 3
Employment increases the most in professional, scientific and technical services in April
Employment up in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and New Brunswick in April
Employment in Ontario increased by 25,000 (+0.3%) in April, building on a cumulative increase of 57,000 (+0.7%) from December 2023 to March 2024. Despite the employment gains, the employment rate in Ontario was little changed in April at 60.6%, and was down 1.6 percentage points on a year-over-year basis. The unemployment rate in Ontario was little changed at 6.8% in April, following increases of 0.3 percentage points in February and 0.2 percentage points in March.
In British Columbia, employment rose by 23,000 (+0.8%) in April, the first significant increase since December 2023. The unemployment rate fell 0.5 percentage points to 5.0% in April 2024. The employment rate in British Columbia was 62.0%, up 0.3 percentage points in the month, and little changed on a year-over-year basis.
Employment in Quebec increased by 19,000 (+0.4%) in April, offsetting the decline in the previous month. This increase was the first significant gain since September 2023. In the 12 months to April 2024, employment in Quebec was little changed, while the working-age population grew by 2.2%. As a result, the employment rate in Quebec fell 0.9 percentage points during the period to 61.4% in April.
Following five months of little change, employment in New Brunswick increased (+7,800; +2.0%) in April and the employment rate rose 0.9 percentage points to 56.9%. The unemployment rate fell 0.8 percentage points in April to 7.0%.
While employment in Alberta was little changed in April, there were more people searching for work, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.7 percentage points to 7.0%.
Map 1
Unemployment rate by province and territory, April 2024
Unemployment rate in Canada continues to trend higher than in the United States
By adjusting Canadian data to US concepts, comparisons can be made between the labour market situation in Canada and in the United States. For more information, see "Measuring Employment and Unemployment in Canada and the United States – A comparison."
The unemployment rate, adjusted to US concepts, was 5.1% in Canada in April, 1.2 percentage points higher than in the United States (3.9%). On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate increased 1.0 percentage points in Canada, while in the United States it rose 0.5 percentage points.
Also adjusted to US concepts, the employment rate was 62.0% in Canada and 60.2% in the United States in April. The employment rate, defined as employment as a percentage of the working-age population, has historically been higher in Canada, but the gap has narrowed in the past year. From April 2023 to April 2024, the employment rate, adjusted to US concepts, fell by 0.8 percentage points in Canada while it was little changed in the United States over the same period.
In the spotlight: More than one in four workers have to come into work, or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month
Working time and work-life balance are key dimensions of quality of employment that can impact workers' health, well-being and quality of life.
Some scheduling arrangements, such as flexible start and finishing times, can support the balancing of work and family commitments, while other schedules, such as long working hours, can be more challenging to navigate. An additional dimension of working time—the need to come into work or connect to a work device at short notice to address work demands—can put pressure on workers and affect work-life balance.
In April 2024, more than one in four workers (28.4%; population aged 15 to 69) indicated that they had to come into work or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month. Proportionally more men (30.5%) reported having to do so than women (26.2%).
Self-employed workers can have a greater ability to choose when they work. However, in April, they were more likely than employees to have to work or connect to a work device at short notice several times a month or more (43.8% compared with 26.3%).
Workers in management occupations, including legislative and senior managers (59.8%) and specialized middle management occupations in health care (55.9%), were particularly likely to have to go into work or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month.
In health care occupations, more workers may be expected to physically travel to their work site when called upon to work at short notice. In April, 39.2% of health treating and consultation services professionals—which includes physicians and dentists—had to come into work or connect to a work device at short notice several times a month or more. Among paid employees, 30.3% of registered nurses had to come to work or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month, a proportion higher than the average for all employees (26.3%).
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Sustainable Development Goals
On January 1, 2016, the world officially began implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the United Nations' transformative plan of action that addresses urgent global challenges over the next 15 years. The plan is based on 17 specific sustainable development goals.
The Labour Force Survey is an example of how Statistics Canada supports the reporting on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. This release will be used in helping to measure the following goals:
Note to readers
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for April are for the week of April 14 to 20, 2024.
The LFS estimates are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. As a result, monthly estimates will show more variability than trends observed over longer time periods. For more information, see "Interpreting Monthly Changes in Employment from the Labour Force Survey."
This analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 68% confidence level.
LFS estimates at the Canada level do not include the territories.
The LFS estimates are the first in a series of labour market indicators released by Statistics Canada, which includes indicators from programs such as the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH); Employment Insurance Statistics; and the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey. For more information on the conceptual differences between employment measures from the LFS and those from the SEPH, refer to section 8 of the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (71-543-G).
Face-to-face personal interviewing resumed in November 2022. Telephone interviews continued to be conducted by interviewers working from their homes rather than Statistics Canada's call centres, as they have since March 2020. About 50,100 interviews were completed in April 2024 and in-depth data quality evaluations conducted each month confirm that the LFS continues to produce an accurate portrait of Canada's labour market.
The employment rate is the number of employed people as a percentage of the population aged 15 and older. The rate for a particular group (for example, youths aged 15 to 24) is the number employed in that group as a percentage of the population for that group.
The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force (employed and unemployed).
The participation rate is the number of employed and unemployed people as a percentage of the population aged 15 and older.
Full-time employment consists of persons who usually work 30 hours or more per week at their main or only job.
Part-time employment consists of persons who usually work less than 30 hours per week at their main or only job.
Total hours worked refers to the number of hours actually worked at the main job by the respondent during the reference week, including paid and unpaid hours. These hours reflect temporary decreases or increases in work hours (for example, hours lost due to illness, vacation, holidays or weather; or more hours worked due to overtime).
In general, month-to-month or year-to-year changes in the number of people employed in an age group reflect the net effect of two factors: (1) the number of people who changed employment status between reference periods, and (2) the number of employed people who entered or left the age group (including through aging, death or migration) between reference periods.
Information on racialized groups
Data on "racialized groups" are derived from the "visible minority" variable. "Visible minority" refers to whether or not a person belongs to one of the visible minority groups defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.
Seasonal adjustment
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted estimates, which facilitate comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
Population growth in the Labour Force Survey
The LFS target population includes all persons aged 15 years and older whose usual place of residence is in Canada, with the exception of those living on reserves, full-time members of the regular Armed Forces and persons living in institutions (including inmates of penal institutions and patients in hospitals and nursing homes).
The LFS target population includes temporary residents—that is, those with a valid work or study permit, their families, and refugee claimants—as well as permanent residents (landed immigrants) and the Canadian-born.
Information gathered from LFS respondents is weighted to represent the survey target population using population calibration totals. These totals are updated each month, using the most recently available information on population changes, including changes in the number of non-permanent residents. LFS population calibration totals are derived from Canada's official population estimates using similar sources and methods, with minor adjustments being made to reflect exclusions from the LFS target population.
Next release
The next release of the LFS will be on June 7. May data will reflect labour market conditions during the week of May 12 to 18.
Products
More information about the concepts and use of the Labour Force Survey is available online in the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (71-543-G).
The product "Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app" (14200001) is also available. This interactive visualization application provides seasonally adjusted estimates by province, sex, age group and industry.
The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province and census metropolitan area, seasonally adjusted" (71-607-X) is also available. This interactive dashboard provides customizable access to key labour market indicators.
The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province, territory and economic region, unadjusted for seasonality" (71-607-X) is also available. This dynamic web application provides access to labour market indicators for Canada, provinces, territories and economic regions.
The product Labour Force Survey: Public Use Microdata File (71M0001X) is also available. This public use microdata file contains non-aggregated data for a wide variety of variables collected from the Labour Force Survey. The data have been modified to ensure that no individual or business is directly or indirectly identified. This product is for users who prefer to do their own analysis by focusing on specific subgroups in the population or by cross-classifying variables that are not in our catalogued products.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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