Canada unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.1% in April 2016, slightly above the post peak low of 6.6% in October 2014 and January 2015. The unemployment rate peaked in June, July and August 2009 at 8.7% and remains 1.6 percentage points lower.
Following an increase of 41,000 jobs in March, employment was virtually unchanged in April with a slight constriction of 2,100 jobs in Canada.
The Canada labour force was unchanged in April 2016 constricting by 3,800 (-0.0%) from March 2016 to April 2016 yet remained higher than the year prior, an increase of 212,200 (+1.1%) to 19,425,000 persons.
The size of the labour force has increased by 27,300 people in the past five months.
The labour Force (aka Workforce) is the sum of employed and unemployed persons in the U.S
The Canada labour force participation is near a post peak low at 62.8% in April 2016. The participation rate peaked in 2007 at 67.7%. Participation was at a post-peak low of 65.7% in December 2015 and is 1.9 percentage points below the 2007 peak.
The participation rate measures the active portion of the labour force; the number of people who are either employed or are actively looking for work.
New projections from April 2016 show GDP growth in Canada is forecast to be 1.5% in 2016 and 1.9% in 2017 below previous estimates of 1.7% and 2.4% respectively.
The Canada unemployment rate is projected to be 7.3% in 2016 and 7.4% in 2017 above previous estimates of 6.8% and 6.6% respectively.
Canada's Unemployment Rate in the last decade
|
Employment, % Change |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Canada |
1.3 |
1.7 |
2.3 |
1.4 |
-1.7 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
1.3 |
1.5 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newfoundland and Labrador |
-0.4 |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.9 |
-2.7 |
3.6 |
4.1 |
3.8 |
0.8 |
-1.7 |
-1.0 |
|
Prince Edward Island |
1.7 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
-1.3 |
2.3 |
3.2 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
-0.1 |
-1.1 |
|
Nova Scotia |
0.1 |
-0.2 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
-0.5 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
1.0 |
-1.1 |
-1.1 |
0.1 |
|
New Brunswick |
-0.5 |
1.1 |
2.1 |
0.9 |
-0.2 |
-0.5 |
-0.7 |
-0.7 |
0.4 |
-0.2 |
-0.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quebec |
0.8 |
1.0 |
2.6 |
1.1 |
-0.7 |
2.2 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
1.4 |
0.0 |
0.9 |
|
Ontario |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
-2.7 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
0.7 |
1.8 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manitoba |
0.7 |
1.2 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
-0.2 |
1.4 |
0.4 |
1.6 |
0.7 |
0.1 |
1.5 |
|
Saskatchewan |
0.4 |
1.9 |
2.8 |
2.5 |
1.6 |
1.0 |
0.9 |
2.4 |
3.1 |
1.0 |
0.5 |
|
Alberta |
2.6 |
5.0 |
4.2 |
3.2 |
-1.2 |
-0.3 |
3.7 |
3.5 |
2.5 |
2.2 |
1.2 |
|
British Columbia |
3.0 |
2.4 |
3.0 |
1.6 |
-2.2 |
1.4 |
0.2 |
1.6 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
1.2 |
Unemployment Rate by Industry
|
Employment, % Change |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Canada |
1.3 |
1.7 |
2.3 |
1.4 |
-1.7 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
1.3 |
1.5 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newfoundland and Labrador |
-0.4 |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.9 |
-2.7 |
3.6 |
4.1 |
3.8 |
0.8 |
-1.7 |
-1.0 |
|
Prince Edward Island |
1.7 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
-1.3 |
2.3 |
3.2 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
-0.1 |
-1.1 |
|
Nova Scotia |
0.1 |
-0.2 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
-0.5 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
1.0 |
-1.1 |
-1.1 |
0.1 |
|
New Brunswick |
-0.5 |
1.1 |
2.1 |
0.9 |
-0.2 |
-0.5 |
-0.7 |
-0.7 |
0.4 |
-0.2 |
-0.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quebec |
0.8 |
1.0 |
2.6 |
1.1 |
-0.7 |
2.2 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
1.4 |
0.0 |
0.9 |
|
Ontario |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
-2.7 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
0.7 |
1.8 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manitoba |
0.7 |
1.2 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
-0.2 |
1.4 |
0.4 |
1.6 |
0.7 |
0.1 |
1.5 |
|
Saskatchewan |
0.4 |
1.9 |
2.8 |
2.5 |
1.6 |
1.0 |
0.9 |
2.4 |
3.1 |
1.0 |
0.5 |
|
Alberta |
2.6 |
5.0 |
4.2 |
3.2 |
-1.2 |
-0.3 |
3.7 |
3.5 |
2.5 |
2.2 |
1.2 |
|
British Columbia |
3.0 |
2.4 |
3.0 |
1.6 |
-2.2 |
1.4 |
0.2 |
1.6 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
1.2 |
Want to know more about the top trends in the job market? Check out the Canada Labour Market Update from Monster Intelligence. Click here!