Labour Force Survey (LFS)

The Labour Force Survey is a monthly survey which measures the current state of the Canadian labour market and is used, among other things, to calculate the national, provincial, territorial and regional employment and unemployment rates. The survey results are used to make important decisions regarding job creation, education and training, retirement pensions and income support.

At this time, as Canadians continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to have an accurate picture of the job situation, the cost of living, and the economy. Data will be used to guide government decisions and assist Canadians through these challenging times.

Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.

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  Confidentiality

  Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.

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  Record linkage

  To enhance the data from this survey and reduce response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.

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  Topics covered in the survey

  The survey asks questions about

  • employment and unemployment
  • hours of work and work arrangements
  • industries
  • labour
  • occupations
  • unionization and industrial relations
  • wages, salaries and other earnings.

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  Published data

  Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search box located at the left of your screen to filter the results.

  Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.

  Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.

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  Survey-specific questions

  • What is the Labour Force Survey (LFS)?
  • Who is surveyed?
  • Why and how was my household selected?
  • Why are Statistics Canada interviewers conducting survey collection in regions/provinces that have temporary public health restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • What protective measures are in place to assure health and safety?
  • Why don't I have the option to complete the survey online?
  • I don't work, why do you include me in your survey?
  • Why do you ask questions that are not related to employment?
  • Why do I have to complete the Labour Force Survey Supplement?
  • Is Statistics Canada offering compensation for completing the Labour Force Survey?
  • Who uses the survey data? Why is it important?
  • How do I access survey results?
  • Where can I get more information on the survey?
  • How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?

  What is the Labour Force Survey (LFS)?

  The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household survey carried out monthly by Statistics Canada. It is the only source of current, monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment. While LFS is best known for the unemployment rate, it also produces a great deal of information on a variety of labour-related issues.

  Who is surveyed?

  The survey is conducted in more than 55,000 households across Canada. Information is obtained from all members of the selected household who are 15 years old and older, whether they work or not.

  Why and how was my household selected?

  It would be costly and impractical to survey each and every household in Canada. Instead, Statistics Canada employs a statistical method known as sampling. Sampling is an established way to determine the characteristics of an entire population by using the answers of a much smaller, randomly chosen sample. In order to ensure that the sample is an accurate reflection of the population as a whole, the survey results from all sampled households must be collected.

  Why are Statistics Canada interviewers conducting survey collection in regions/provinces that have temporary public health restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

  For mandatory and essential surveys, such as the Labour Force Survey, there are some regions where we have not been able to reach the required response rates. We need the assistance of interviewers to visit households and make contact with respondents, while maintaining a two-metre distance, to deliver reminder letters or make appointments to complete the survey by telephone. With the support and participation of selected households, we can continue to produce accurate employment data for these regions.

  The LFS is important for your region because…

  • Your participation in the survey gives governments the necessary information to plan important programs, such as Employment Insurance, that support Canadians who are looking for paid work. Your answers help guide government decisions and assist Canadians during these challenging times.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, when many Canadians find themselves unemployed, underemployed, or working without any job security, it's more important than ever for you to tell us about your experience with the job market.
  • Help us make governments work better for you. By taking part in this survey, you help paint a complete and accurate picture of Canada's workforce.

  What protective measures are in place to assure health and safety?

  All Statistics Canada interviewers wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). They protect themselves and others by:

  • Wearing a three-layer mask and using hand sanitizer whenever required.
  • Maintaining a two-metre (six feet) physical distance from others.
  • Never entering any dwellings.
  • Clearly displaying their Statistics Canada photo identification card at all times.

  Why don't I have the option to complete the survey online?

  While the online option is available for some households in the subsequent interviews, generally speaking, initial interview and follow-up interviews have to be completed over the phone or in person with an interviewer to simplify the collection of participants' information.

  I don't work, why do you include me in your survey?

  Retired persons, students, unpaid family workers and others not looking for work are included because we need their information in order to estimate the participation rate. The participation rate is the size of the labour force as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over.

  Why do you ask questions that are not related to employment?

  It is possible that at the end of the interview, the interviewer asks you questions that are not related to work; for example, you could be asked questions about income, support payments, inter-household transfers, disability, unmet health care needs, food security, and characteristics and costs of housing. There are some surveys such as the Canadian Income Survey which use the same sample as the LFS to collect information for their survey. This initiative results in substantial cost savings for Statistics Canada.

  Why do I have to complete the Labour Force Survey Supplement?

  In the provinces, Canadians selected to complete the LFS are in sample for six months. During that time, you may be selected to respond to one of two survey supplements following the completion of the main LFS survey. Depending on your interview month, you may asked to complete the Labour Market Indicators (LMI) supplement or the Canadian Income Survey (CIS). In the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, households are only eligible to receive the CIS supplement.

  While participation in a supplement is voluntary, the information you provide is important in building reliable data for Canadians. The information collected will be used to complement Labour Force Survey data and will allow Statistics Canada to produce a number of additional labour market indicators, as well as support the effort to monitor the economic well-being of individuals and families in Canada.

  Is Statistics Canada offering compensation for completing the Labour Force Survey?

  We are not offering compensation for completing this survey. Statistics Canada only offers compensation for surveys in exceptional circumstances. If a survey is offering compensation, it will be explicitly stated in the survey's information for survey participants page.

  Who uses the survey data? Why is it important?

  The results from the Labour Force Survey have many uses. All levels of government rely on employment and unemployment information from the survey. For example, its information is used to determine Employment Insurance eligibility as well as the size and duration of the program's benefits.

  Data from the survey are also factored into the calculation of gross domestic product (GDP), an aggregate measure of economic production. Among its many other uses, the GDP is an important factor in determining the size of transfers from the federal government to the provinces.

  The survey's data also help determine the Bank of Canada interest rate. The Bank of Canada is constantly monitoring the effects of its policies to see if they are having the intended effect on financial markets, spending, production, employment and ultimately inflation. Financial markets also look to the survey's numbers to predict what the Bank of Canada might do with interest rates.

  Because it provides valuable information on the success of various programs (or potentially the need for new ones), the LFS is closely monitored by a number of government departments. For example, those concerned with adjustments to retirement and pension funding monitor information on the employment situation of older workers. Also closely watched by policy and program developers are data on youth employment and unemployment to see how these young people are entering the workforce.

  Trends in self-employment by sector are followed closely by those interested in the role played by small and medium-sized businesses in job creation and economic growth.

  Finally, each month the media gives much coverage to the survey results as they are recognized as one of the most important signs of how the economy is performing.

  How do I access survey results?

  Results are released monthly in The Daily approximately 10 working days after the survey is completed.

  Consult Published data to obtain survey data and analysis on the Labour Force Survey.

  Where can I get more information about the survey?

  Contact us for more information about the Labour Force Survey.

  How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?

  As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information provided will remain confidential pursuant to the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada takes the privacy of Canadians very seriously. Published data can never identify you or your household.

  To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.

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  Resources for respondents

  • Brochure - Tell us how Canada works - The Labour Force Survey
  • Brochure - Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey - What it's all about - Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon

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  Labour Force Survey supplements

  Labour Market Indicators

  The Labour Market Indicators supplement is a voluntary survey that is collected following the completion of the Labour Force Survey. Results will be studied to identify emerging Canadian Labour Market Indicators. Topics covered in the survey include working from home, employment insurance benefits and more.

  Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.

  For more information about this survey please visit: Labour Market Indicators

  Canadian Income Survey

  The Canadian Income Survey is a voluntary survey that is collected following the completion of the Labour Force Survey. The Canadian Income Survey is a cross-sectional survey that collects data about income, labour market activity, school attendance, support payments, inter-household transfers, disability, unmet health care needs, food security, characteristics and costs of housing and more.

  Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.

  For more information about this survey please visit: Canadian Income Survey (CIS)

• For more information about this survey
  • Definitions, data sources and methods used
  • Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)