Monthly jobs and employment report, Canada

Employment among young men aged 15 to 24 fell -0.9% (-13,000), while employment for people aged 55 to 64 rose 0.9 percentage points on a year-over-year basis.

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Employment increased in accommodation and food services +1.5% (17,000) in June, followed by agriculture +5.5% (12,000). Employment in transportation and warehousing fell -1.1% (12,000), followed by public administration -0.7% (8,800).

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Every month, Adecco Canada interprets the data from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. Here’s what happened in June:

Employment virtually unchanged in June

In June, employment was virtually unchanged -0.0% (-1,400) as the employment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 61.1%.

Unemployment rates rises to 6.4%

The unemployment rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 6.4% in June. The unemployment rate has trended up since April 2023, rising 1.3 percentage points over the period. This brings the total number of unemployed to 1.4 million in June 2024, an increase of +3.1% (+42,000) from the previous month.

Employment up in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador in May

Employment in New Brunswick rose by +0.8% (+3,000) in June, the second increase for the province in three months. Newfoundland and Labrador also saw an increase +1.1% (+2,600), offsetting the decline in May. Employment in Quebec saw a decline -0.4% (-18,000) in June, following little change in May. Employment in Ontario saw little change in June as the unemployment rate increased 0.3 percentage points to 7.0% as more Ontarians search for work.

Employment falls in transportation and warehousing for the second consecutive month

In June, employment in transportation and warehousing fell -1.1% (12,000) in June, following a decline in May. Employment in public administration also fell -0.7% (8,800), the first decline since August 2023. On the other hand, employment in accommodation and food services increased +1.5% (17,000) in June, the third consecutive monthly increase since March. Employment in agriculture rose +5.5% (12,000) in June, the first increased since July 2023.

Unemployment rates on the rise for Black and South Asian Canadians

In the previous 12 months, unemployment rates rose 4.4 percentage points to 11.9% for core-aged Black Canadians. The rate was up by 5.7 percentage points to 12.3% for Black men and by 3.0 percentage points to 11.4% for Black women.

Unemployment among South Asian in the core-aged group was up 1.7 percentage points on a year-over-year basis to 6.7% in June. The unemployment rate for core-aged South Asian women was up 7.8%, and 5.9% for core-aged South Asian men.

In comparison, the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 3.8% in the previous 12 months among non-racialized, non-Indigenous population of core working age.

Don’t have time for a long reading? We’ve summarized the key takeaways from this month:

• Employment was virtually unchanged in June -0.0% (-1,400) and the employment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 61.1%.
• Unemployment rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.4% in June and risen 1.3 percentage points since April 2023.
• Employment increases in June were led by New Brunswick 0.8% (+3,000) and Newfoundland and Labrador +1.1% (+2,600).
• Employment was up for core-aged women (aged 25 to 54) +0.3% (19,000), while it fell among young men aged 15 to 24 -0.9% (-13,000).
• Employment declines in transportation and warehousing -1.1% (-12,000), public administration -0.7% (-8,800) in June.
• Average hourly wages increased 5.4% in June on a year-over-years basis, following growth of 5.1% in May.
• Total hours worked were down 0.4% in June and were up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis.

References

Statistics Canada. (2022). Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months [Data table]. https://doi.org/10.25318/1410028701-eng

Statistics Canada. (2022). Table 14-10-0355-01 Employment by industry, monthly, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, and trend-cycle, last 5 months (x 1,000) [Data table]. https://doi.org/10.25318/1410035501-eng