The Daily — Labour Force Survey, July 2024 (2024)

Released:2024-08-09

Highlights

Employment was little changed in July (-2,800; -0.0%), while the employment rate fell0.2percentage points to60.9%. The unemployment rate was unchanged at6.4%.

In July, employment decreased among women (-41,000; -2.6%) and men (-15,000; -0.8%) aged55to64. Employment also fell among young men aged15to24(-20,000; -1.5%), while it increased among men aged25to54(+48,000; +0.7%).

Employment fell in wholesale and retail trade (-44,000; -1.5%) as well as in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (-15,000; -1.0%) in July. Employment increased in public administration (+20,000; +1.6%), transportation and warehousing (+15,000; +1.4%) and utilities (+6,200; +4.2%).

Employment declined in Manitoba (-5,400; -0.8%) and Nova Scotia (-4,800; -0.9%) in July, while it increased in Ontario (+22,000; +0.3%) and Saskatchewan (+6,700; +1.1%).

Total hours worked rose1.0% in July and were up1.9% compared with12months earlier.

Average hourly wages among employees increased5.2% (up $1.73to $34.97) on a year-over-year basis in July, following growth of5.4% in June (not seasonally adjusted).

The employment rate of returning students aged15to24was51.3% in July, down6.8percentage points from July2023(not seasonally adjusted).

Employment little changed for third consecutive month

Employment held steady for the third consecutive month in July (-2,800; -0.0%). On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by346,000(+1.7%).

The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged15and older who are employed—fell0.2percentage points to60.9% in July. The employment rate has followed a downward trend since reaching a high of62.4% in January and February2023and has fallen in9of the last10months.

In July2024, an increase in full-time work (+62,000; +0.4%) was offset by a decline in part-time work (-64,000; -1.7%). Despite these changes, part-time employment (+3.4%; +122,000) has grown at a faster pace compared with full-time employment (+1.4%; +224,000) on a year-over-year basis.

Private sector employment declines

The number of private sector employees fell by42,000(-0.3%) in July, following two months of little change. On a year-over-year basis, private sector employment growth was up by0.6% (+86,000) in July.

Public sector employment rose by41,000(+0.9%) in July and was up by205,000(+4.8%) compared with12months earlier. Public sector employment gains over the last year have been led by increases in health care and social assistance (+87,000; +6.9%), public administration (+57,000; +4.8%) and educational services (+33,000; +3.3%) (not seasonally adjusted).

Self-employment was little changed in July and was up by55,000(+2.1%) on a year-over-year basis.

Employment falls among young men aged15to24as well as among women and men aged55to64

Employment declined for young men aged15to24(-20,000; -1.5%) in July, while it held steady for women of the same age group. The employment rates of young men (-5.5percentage points to52.4%) and young women (-2.4percentage points to55.7%) were down on a year-over-year basis.

Employment increased by48,000(+0.7%) among core-aged men (25to54years old) in July. The increase in the employment rate for this group in July (+0.2percentage points to86.8%) partially offset the cumulative decline of0.7percentage points in May and June.

On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate was down both for core-aged women (-1.0percentage points to80.5%) and core-aged men (-0.9percentage points to86.8%) in July.

For people aged55to64, employment fell among women (-41,000; -2.6%) and men (-15,000; -0.8%) in July. The employment rate was down compared with12months earlier for women in this age group (-1.7percentage points to58.8%), while it was little changed for men (69.3%).

Employment rate continues to trend lower among returning students in July

From May to August, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) collects labour market information from students aged15to24who attended school full time in March and who intend to return to school full time in the fall.

In July, the employment rate of returning students aged15to24was51.3%, down6.8percentage points from July2023. This was the lowest rate since July1997, outside of July2020during the COVID-19pandemic. In July2024, year-over-year employment rate declines were observed for male returning students (-9.1percentage points to47.9%) and for female returning students (-4.6percentage points to54.5%) (not seasonally adjusted).

The unemployment rate for returning students was17.2% in July, the highest rate for July since2009(excluding July2020).

Labour market indicators for July are consistent with those for May and June and reflect a much more difficult summer job market for young returning students in2024compared with previous years.

Unemployment rate unchanged at6.4% in July

The unemployment rate was unchanged at6.4% in July, following two consecutive monthly increases in May (+0.1percentage points) and June (+0.2percentage points). On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was up by0.9percentage points in July.

The unemployment rate for youth aged15to24was14.2% in July, up0.7percentage points from the previous month and the highest rate since September2012(outside of2020and2021during the pandemic).

Among young men, the unemployment rate rose1.3percentage points to16.0% in July2024, continuing a strong upward trend observed since January, with a cumulative increase of5.0percentage points over this period. The unemployment rate for young women (12.3%) was little changed for a second consecutive month in July. On a year-over-year basis, the rate for young women was up by1.9percentage points.

The unemployment rate decreased for core-aged men (-0.3percentage points to5.3%) and core-aged women (-0.2percentage points to4.9%) in July. For core-aged men, the decline was the first since August2023. Among people aged55and older, the unemployment rate for women (4.9%) and men (5.1%) was little changed in July2024.

Unemployment rate rises more for recent immigrants than for people born in Canada

Recent immigrants often face barriers integrating into the labour market, including difficulties getting educational credentials or work experience acquired abroad recognized and lacking job experience or references in Canada.

From July2023to July2024, the unemployment rate of recent immigrants (who had landed in Canada within the previous five years) rose3.1percentage points to12.6% (three-month moving averages, not seasonally adjusted).

The increase was particularly notable for recent immigrant youth; the unemployment rate for this group was22.8% in July, up8.6percentage points from one year earlier. For recent immigrants in the core working age, the unemployment rate rose by2.0percentage points to10.4% over the same period.

In comparison, the unemployment rate for people born in Canada was up0.5percentage points to5.6% on a year-over-year basis in July, while the rate for more established immigrants (who had landed in Canada more than five years earlier) was up1.2percentage points to6.3%.

Labour force participation rate falls

The labour force participation rate—the proportion of the population aged15and older who are either working or looking for work—fell0.3percentage points to65.0% in July, the lowest rate since June1998(excluding2020and2021, during the pandemic). On a year-over-year basis, the participation rate was down0.6percentage points in July2024.

Although the aging of the baby boomer cohort has put downward pressure on the labour force participation rate over the years, the most recent year-over-year decline in July2024largely reflected declines among young men (-2.5percentage points to62.4%), young women (-1.3percentage points to63.5%) and core-aged women (-1.0percentage point to84.6%).

Of youth aged15to24who were out of the labour force in July,12.0% wanted work but did not search, an increase of2.6percentage points compared with12months earlier (not seasonally adjusted). A more difficult labour market for young people may lead some to stop or pause their job search.

The proportions of core-aged women who were out of the labour force in July and reported caring for children as their main activity (41.5%) or having an illness or a disability (16.0%) were little changed compared with the same month in2023(not seasonally adjusted). The proportion of core-aged women who were out of the labour force but wanted work was9.0% in July2024, also little changed from one year earlier.

Employment falls in wholesale and retail trade

In July, employment declined by44,000(-1.5%) in wholesale and retail trade, continuing a general downward trend observed since August2023. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the industry was down by127,000(-4.2%) in July2024.

Employment in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing declined by15,000(-1.0%) in July, the first decline since November2023. Employment in this industry was little changed on a year-over-year basis in July2024.

Employment in public administration rose by20,000(+1.6%) in July, following a decline in June (-8,800; -0.7%). Employment in transportation and warehousing also increased in July (+15,000; +1.4%), partially offsetting declines in May (-21,000; -1.9%) and June (-12,000; -1.1%).

Employment decreases in Manitoba and Nova Scotia, while it increases in Ontario and Saskatchewan

Employment in Ontario rose by22,000(+0.3%) in July, as gains in full-time employment (+70,000; +1.1%) were partly offset by declines in part-time work (-48,000; -3.2%). The unemployment rate in Ontario fell0.3percentage points to6.7% in July, offsetting a similar increase in June.

Employment in Manitoba declined by5,400(-0.8%) in July, and the unemployment rate rose0.6percentage points to5.7%. Employment also declined in Nova Scotia (-4,800; -0.9%), following little change in the previous four months.

In Saskatchewan, employment rose by6,700(+1.1%) in July, the second increase in the last three months. The unemployment rate in the province was5.4% in July, little changed in the month and on a year-over-year basis.

In Quebec, employment was little changed in July and the unemployment rate held steady at5.7%. Employment in the province was also little changed on a year-over-year basis, while the number of people in search of employment grew by62,000(+29.6%), pushing the unemployment rate up1.2percentage points.

Unemployment rate on an upward trend in both Canada and the United States

By adjusting Canadian data to US concepts, direct comparisons can be made between the labour market situations in Canada and the United States. For more information, see "Measuring Employment and Unemployment in Canada and the United States – A comparison."

Adjusted to US concepts, the unemployment rate in Canada for July (5.4%) was1.1percentage points higher than in the United States (4.3%). Compared with12months earlier, the unemployment rate increased by0.8percentage points in both Canada and the United States.

The employment rate has trended down in both countries over the past12months, but the decline has been larger in Canada. From July2023to July2024, the employment rate (adjusted to US concepts) fell by1.0percentage points to61.5% in Canada, while it declined by0.4percentage points to60.0% in the United States.

In the spotlight: Mothers remain more likely than fathers to prioritize childcare in their career decisions

In addition to general labour market conditions, employment and career trajectories of men and women can be influenced by gender differences in household and childcare responsibilities. In July, the LFS asked additional questions to better understand career and employment barriers experienced by mothers and fathers.

Compared with their male counterparts, higher proportions of core-aged mothers with a child aged12and younger had turned down a job offer (7.0% compared with3.7% of fathers), changed to a less demanding job or position (8.2% compared with3.7% of fathers) or reduced their regular work hours (18.2% compared with10.1% of fathers) over the12-month period ending in July.

In July, the share of employed mothers who had made at least one career or job-related decision that prioritized childcare over their career in the last year (40.6%) was little changed from September2022, when the question was last asked in the LFS.

Products

More information about the concepts and use of the Labour Force Survey is available online in the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (Catalogue number71-543-G).

The product "Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app" (Catalogue number14200001) is also available. This interactive visualization application provides seasonally adjusted estimates by province, sex, age group and industry.

The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province and census metropolitan area, seasonally adjusted" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available. This interactive dashboard provides customizable access to key labour market indicators.

The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province, territory and economic region, unadjusted for seasonality" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available. This dynamic web application provides access to labour market indicators for Canada, provinces, territories and economic regions.

The product Labour Force Survey: Public Use Microdata File (Catalogue number71M0001X) is also available. This public use microdata file contains non-aggregated data for a wide variety of variables collected from the Labour Force Survey. The data have been modified to ensure that no individual or business is directly or indirectly identified. This product is for users who prefer to do their own analysis by focusing on specific subgroups in the population or by cross-classifying variables that are not in our catalogued products.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).