Labour Force Estimates

Labour force characteristics, seasonally adjusted, by census metropolitan area
(3 month moving average) (Toronto (Ont.), Hamilton (Ont.), St. Catharines-Niagara (Ont.))

 

September 2014

October 2014

September 2014 to October 2014

October 2013 to October 2014

September 2014 to October 2014

October 2013 to October 2014

thousands

change (thousands)

% change

Toronto (Ont.)

Population

5,080.6

5,087.9

7.3

89.1

0.1

1.8

Labour force

3,380.5

3,380.4

-0.1

-48.4

0.0

-1.4

Employment

3,104.2

3,112.9

8.7

-39.3

0.3

-1.2

Unemployment

276.3

267.5

-8.8

-9.1

-3.2

-3.3

Unemployment rate (%)

8.2

7.9

-0.3

-0.2

Participation rate (%)

66.5

66.4

-0.1

-2.2

Employment rate (%)

61.1

61.2

0.1

-1.9

Hamilton (Ont.)

Population

638.7

639.2

0.5

6.5

0.1

1.0

Labour force

414.8

411.6

-3.2

17.8

-0.8

4.5

Employment

390.2

388.4

-1.8

22.4

-0.5

6.1

Unemployment

24.7

23.2

-1.5

-4.6

-6.1

-16.5

Unemployment rate (%)

6.0

5.6

-0.4

-1.5

Participation rate (%)

64.9

64.4

-0.5

2.2

Employment rate (%)

61.1

60.8

-0.3

3.0

St. Catharines-Niagara (Ont.)

Population

342.0

342.1

0.1

1.0

0.0

0.3

Labour force

209.6

209.6

0.0

1.0

0.0

0.5

Employment

194.3

195.1

0.8

4.1

0.4

2.1

Unemployment

15.3

14.4

-0.9

-3.2

-5.9

-18.2

Unemployment rate (%)

7.3

6.9

-0.4

-1.5

Participation rate (%)

61.3

61.3

0.0

0.1

Employment rate (%)

56.8

57.0

0.2

1.0

Note: Population 15 and over.
Sources: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 282-0116 and Catalogue no. 71-001-XIE. Last modified: 2014-11-07.
Retrieved From: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/lfss03f-eng.htm

The above table includes employed, unemployed, rates of employment and unemployment and labor force participation rates; detailed descriptions are:

  • Labour force: Number of civilian, non-institutionalized persons 15 years of age and over who, during the reference year, were employed or unemployed. Estimates in thousands, rounded to the nearest hundred.
  • Employed: Number of persons who, during the reference year, worked for pay or profit, or performed unpaid family work or had a job but were not at work due to own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities, labour dispute, vacation, or other reason. Those persons on layoff and persons without work but who had a job to start at a definite date in the future are not considered employed. Estimates in thousands, rounded to the nearest hundred.
  • Unemployed: Number of persons who, during the reference year, were without work, had actively looked for work in the past year, and were available for work. Those persons on layoff or who had a new job to start in the next year or less are considered unemployed. Estimates in thousands, rounded to the nearest hundred.
  • Employment rate (formerly the employment/population ratio): is the number of persons employed expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over. The employment rate for a particular group (age, sex and marital status) is the number employed in that group.
  • Unemployment Rate: is the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. The unemployment rate for a particular group (age, sex and marital status) is the number unemployed in that group expressed as a percentage of the labour force for that group. Estimates are percentages, rounded to the nearest tenth.
  • Labour Participation Rate: is the number of labour force participants expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over. The participation rate for a particular group (age, sex and marital status) is the number of labour force participants in that group expressed as a percentage of the population for that group. Estimates are percentages, rounded to the nearest tenth.

Labour Force Participation Rate

This is the number of labour force participants expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over. It is a measure of the active portion of an economy’s labour force. The participation rate refers to the number of people who are either employed or are actively looking for work. The number of people who are no longer actively searching for work would not be included in the participation rate. In other words, the labour force participation rate is the percentage of working-age persons in an economy who:

  • Are employed
  • Are unemployed but looking for a job

Typically “working-age persons” is defined as people between the ages of 16-64. People in those age groups who are not counted as participating in the labor force are typically students, homemakers, and persons under the age of 64 who are retired. The participation rate for a particular group (age, sex and marital status) is the number of labour force participants in that group expressed as a percentage of the population for that group. Estimates are percentages, rounded to the nearest tenth.

The participation rate is an important metric to note when looking at unemployment data because unemployment figures reflect the number of people who are looking for jobs but are unable to secure employment. During an economic recession, many workers often get discouraged and stop looking for employment, as a result, the participation rate decreases. This rate should be analyzed in tandem with unemployment rates in order to better understand Niagara’s employment landscape (especially because of the recession and effects of losing many large-scale manufacturers in Niagara).

In other words, a continued drop in the Unemployment Rate does not necessarily signify economic recovery; instead, it may actually be an indication of economic distress. As more and more people are reclassified from “unemployed” to “underemployed or discouraged” workers, it’s important to examine root causes. If people who could be working are not looking for jobs, and thus are not reflected in the ‘unemployed’ numbers, it may be that they have lost optimism about finding employment.

Labour Force Characteristics, St. Catharines-Niagara CMA (census Metropolitan area)
Note: the St. Catharines-Niagara CMA does not include Grimsby and West Niagara.
October 2014

Seasonally Unadjusted

St. Catharines-Niagara CMA

Ontario

Unemployment Rate

6.2%

7.0%

Employment Rate

 57.8%

61.5%

Participation Rate

61.6%

66.2%

 

Seasonally Adjusted

St. Catharines-Niagara CMA

Ontario

Unemployment Rate

6.9%

7.0%

Employment Rate

 57.0%

61.2%

Participation Rate

61.3%

65.9%

Note: Population 15 and over. Seasonally Unadjusted and Adjusted, by census metropolitan area (3 month moving average) and by Province (Monthly)

Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 282-0116, and Catalogue no. 71-001-XIE
Last modified: 2014-11-07

Source: Niagara Workforce Planning Board
Retrived From: http://www.niagaraworkforceboard.ca/index2.php?lang=1

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