Work

Employment Rate (15 years of age and older)

Significance

• An increase in the employment rate will demonstrate that either labour force participation rate has increased or the unemployment rate has decreased; both are encouraging signs for the labour market.

• The higher the employment rate, the more people with an income, resulting in a larger tax base and more sustainable public finances.

Core Indicator

• The employment rate is measured by taking the total number of employed persons as proportion of the working age population, defined as the total population 15 years of age and older.

• Canada’s employment rate was 61.8% in 2011, slightly up from 61.6% in 2010 (see following charts).

Employment Rate in Canada 1987-2011

Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 282-0053 (LFS)http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=2820053&paSer=&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=38&tabMode=dataTable&csid=

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 201156.0

57.0

58.0

59.0

60.0

61.0

62.0

63.0

64.0

Canada vs. Other OECD Countries

• In 2011, Canada’s employment rate was above average when compared to other OECD countries (see following chart).

• Canada ranked 8th among the twenty OECD countries, with a rate of 6.7 percentage points above the OECD average.

• Canada’s employment rate was 7.6 percentage points lower than Switzerland, who had the highest rate among the OECD countries.

Employment Rates in OECD Countries

2011

Source: OECD.StatExtracts, “LFS by sex and age”

Switz

erlan

d

Norway

Japan

Netherl

ands

Swed

en

Australi

a

Denmark

Canad

a

German

y

Austria

United Kingd

om

G7 countri

es

Finlan

d

United St

ates

Portuga

l

OECD co

untries

France

Belgium

Irelan

dSp

ain Italy

Greece

45.0

55.0

65.0

75.0

85.0

Canada’s Major CMAs

• Unsurprisingly, Alberta’s two CMAs – Calgary and Edmonton – had the highest employment rates among Canada’s major CMAs in 2011 at 70.2% and 69.5%, respectively (see following chart).

• In contrast, two of Ontario’s major manufacturing CMAs, London and Sudbury, had the lowest employment rates at 58.9% and 59.7%, respectively.

Employment Rate in Major CMAs 2011

Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 282-0053 (LFS).

Calgary

Edmonton

Kitchen

er

Ottawa

Halifax

Quebec

Winnipeg

St. Jo

hn's

Toro

nto

Canad

a

Vanco

uver

Hamilto

n

Montréal

Victoria

Kingston

Sudbury

London

45.0

50.0

55.0

60.0

65.0

70.0

75.0

CMA Trends (2000 to 2011)

• Growth in employment rate between 2000 and 2011 was largest in Québec City (up 8.1%) and St. John’s (up 7.0%) (see following chart).

• London had the largest decrease in employment rate (down (6.0%), contributing the the lowest employment rate in 2011.

Change in the Employment Rate in Major CMAs, 2000-2011

Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 282-0053 (LFS).

Quebec

St. Jo

hn's

Kingston

Edmonton

Sudbury

Ottawa

Kitchen

er

Victoria

Halifax

Canad

a

Montréal

Winnipeg

Vanco

uver

Calgary

Hamilto

n

Toro

nto

London

-8.0

-6.0

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0