Employment was virtually unchanged (+0.0%) in December, and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.8%, according to a report released Friday by Statistics Canada.
Andrea Piacquadio
The employment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 61.6%, as the population aged 15 and older grew by 74,000 (+0.2%), said the federal agency.
“Among core-aged men (aged 25 to 54), employment rose by 25,000 (+0.4%). Employment also rose among young women aged 15 to 24 (+13,000; +1.0%) but declined among men aged 55 and older (-27,000; -1.1%),” it said.
“There were more people employed in professional, scientific and technical services (+46,000; +2.4%), health care and social assistance (+16,000; +0.6%) and “other services” (which includes personal and repair services) (+12,000; +1.5%) in December. There were declines in five industries, led by wholesale and retail trade (-21,000; -0.7%) and manufacturing (-18,000; -1.0%).
“Employment increased in four provinces in December, led by British Columbia (+18,000; +0.6%), while it declined in Ontario (-48,000; -0.6%). Total hours worked rose 0.4% in December and were up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On a year-over-year basis, average hourly wages rose 5.4% (+$1.78 to $34.45) in December, following an increase of 4.8% in November (not seasonally adjusted).”
Statistics Canada said employment held steady in December (+0.0%), following little change in November (+25,000; +0.1%) and October (+18,000; +0.1%). Employment growth slowed in the second half of 2023, averaging 23,000 per month, compared with the first six months of 2023, when it averaged 48,000 per month.
“The population aged 15 and older in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) grew by 74,000 (+0.2%) in December, on par with the average monthly population growth in 2023 (+79,000 per month). The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—fell 0.2 percentage points to 61.6% in December, the fifth decline in the past six months,” it said.
“The employment rate has trended down in 2023, as population growth generally outpaced employment gains. In December, the employment rate (61.6%) was down 0.9 percentage points from its recent high of 62.5% recorded in January 2023.”
Unemployment rate by province and territory, December 2023
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list
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