Stats Canada published on Friday their Labour Force Survey for October 2012 and while there wasn’t much better news, there wasn’t much worse news either. The employment level was unchanged but unemployment also hovered at the same place as well (at 7.4%).
The employment graph still looks heartening as we climb out of the huge valley of 2009.
Specifically Stats Canada pointed out:
Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 1.3% or 229,000, all in full-time work. The total number of hours worked also rose 1.3% over the same period.
In October, employment grew in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, while it fell in British Columbia and Manitoba. There was little change in the other provinces.
The number of public sector employees increased by 37,000, offset by a decline in private sector employment, which includes both private sector employees and the self-employed. Total gains over the previous 12 months were among both private sector employees (+157,000 or +1.4%) and public sector employees (+74,000 or +2.1%).
Interesting that the public sector continues to expand, given the alleged cut backs in Ontario and at the Federal Government level as well. Maybe those job losses are still to be reflected in the data.
The unemployment looks like a slow roll down the hill, but the drop continues on (even if this month we only really leveled off). I am disheartened to see that the employment rate for youth is down 2.1% with an unemployment rate of 14.7% (given my daughter is back in the unemployment figures again too). It’s good old farts like me keep our cushy jobs, but having a lost generation when it comes to jobs is not a good thing.
The Big Table
On the Stats Canada post there are a bunch of great tables outlining employment data, that you should read, here is just one of the cool tables.
Labour force characteristics by age and sex – Seasonally adjusted
| Sept   2012 | October 2012 |
Sept to Oct 2012 |
Oct 2011 to Oct 2012 |
Sept to Oct 2012 |
Oct 2011 to Oct 2012 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| thousands (except rates) | change in thousands (except rates) | % change | ||||
| Both sexes, 15 years and over | ||||||
| Population | 28,388.3 | 28,414.8 | 26.5 | 332.5 | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Labour force | 18,959.5 | 18,977.5 | 18.0 | 262.1 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Employment | 17,565.7 | 17,567.5 | 1.8 | 229.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Full-time | 14,255.5 | 14,262.8 | 7.3 | 240.4 | 0.1 | 1.7 |
| Part-time | 3,310.2 | 3,304.7 | -5.5 | -11.3 | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Unemployment | 1,393.8 | 1,410.0 | 16.2 | 33.0 | 1.2 | 2.4 |
| Participation rate | 66.8 | 66.8 | 0.0 | 0.2 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4 | 7.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 61.9 | 61.8 | -0.1 | 0.1 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 18.8 | 18.8 | 0.0 | -0.3 | … | … |
| Youths, 15 to 24 years | ||||||
| Population | 4,457.6 | 4,457.1 | -0.5 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Labour force | 2,843.0 | 2,834.5 | -8.5 | -42.6 | -0.3 | -1.5 |
| Employment | 2,417.7 | 2,418.9 | 1.2 | -52.2 | 0.0 | -2.1 |
| Full-time | 1,270.9 | 1,256.0 | -14.9 | -41.4 | -1.2 | -3.2 |
| Part-time | 1,146.8 | 1,162.9 | 16.1 | -10.7 | 1.4 | -0.9 |
| Unemployment | 425.3 | 415.7 | -9.6 | 9.6 | -2.3 | 2.4 |
| Participation rate | 63.8 | 63.6 | -0.2 | -0.9 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 15.0 | 14.7 | -0.3 | 0.6 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 54.2 | 54.3 | 0.1 | -1.1 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 47.4 | 48.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | … | … |
| Men, 25 years and over | ||||||
| Population | 11,712.6 | 11,726.3 | 13.7 | 166.7 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Labour force | 8,548.5 | 8,562.5 | 14.0 | 165.4 | 0.2 | 2.0 |
| Employment | 8,005.8 | 8,001.4 | -4.4 | 134.1 | -0.1 | 1.7 |
| Full-time | 7,398.6 | 7,399.5 | 0.9 | 161.1 | 0.0 | 2.2 |
| Part-time | 607.2 | 601.9 | -5.3 | -27.0 | -0.9 | -4.3 |
| Unemployment | 542.7 | 561.1 | 18.4 | 31.3 | 3.4 | 5.9 |
| Participation rate | 73.0 | 73.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3 | 6.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 68.4 | 68.2 | -0.2 | 0.1 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 7.6 | 7.5 | -0.1 | -0.5 | … | … |
| Women, 25 years and over | ||||||
| Population | 12,218.1 | 12,231.4 | 13.3 | 166.0 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Labour force | 7,568.0 | 7,580.4 | 12.4 | 139.2 | 0.2 | 1.9 |
| Employment | 7,142.2 | 7,147.2 | 5.0 | 147.1 | 0.1 | 2.1 |
| Full-time | 5,586.0 | 5,607.3 | 21.3 | 120.7 | 0.4 | 2.2 |
| Part-time | 1,556.1 | 1,539.9 | -16.2 | 26.4 | -1.0 | 1.7 |
| Unemployment | 425.8 | 433.2 | 7.4 | -7.9 | 1.7 | -1.8 |
| Participation rate | 61.9 | 62.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6 | 5.7 | 0.1 | -0.2 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 58.5 | 58.4 | -0.1 | 0.4 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 21.8 | 21.5 | -0.3 | -0.1 | … | … |
