According to our friends at Statistics Canada 2012 ended with a rosier employment picture:
Employment rose by 40,000 in December, the fourth increase in five months. December’s increase was all in full-time work. The unemployment rate declined 0.1 percentage points to 7.1%, the lowest in four years.
That makes for a high-note year-end (IMHO). A happy-looking graphic from them as well showing employment gains:
That is a happier-looking graphic than what we saw a few years back, so Canadians are starting to get back to work in general. Youth employment still has issues that need to be addressed (it seems old farts like me can still find jobs more easily than younger folks).
In December, employment increased among core-aged men 25 to 54. Over the year, employment gains were shared among core-aged workers and those 55 and over, while employment among youths was unchanged.
The unemployment graph looks good, with unemployment dropping by 0.1% in December too:
The Big Table
For my regular readers, you know my love for the more specific details on some of the tables supplied by Stats Canada; here are the stats by age group:
Labour force characteristics by age and sex, Seasonally adjusted
| November 2012 | December 2012 | Nov to Dec 2012 | Dec 2011 to Dec 2012 | Nov to Dec 2012 | Dec 2011 to Dec 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| thousands (except rates) | change in thousands (except rates) | % change | ||||
| Both sexes, 15 years and over | ||||||
| Population | 28,442.9 | 28,468.6 | 25.7 | 337.8 | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Labour force | 18,996.5 | 19,023.8 | 27.3 | 269.3 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Employment | 17,626.8 | 17,666.6 | 39.8 | 311.9 | 0.2 | 1.8 |
| Full-time | 14,318.0 | 14,359.2 | 41.2 | 306.7 | 0.3 | 2.2 |
| Part-time | 3,308.8 | 3,307.4 | -1.4 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Unemployment | 1,369.7 | 1,357.2 | -12.5 | -42.6 | -0.9 | -3.0 |
| Participation rate | 66.8 | 66.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2 | 7.1 | -0.1 | -0.4 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 62.0 | 62.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 18.8 | 18.7 | -0.1 | -0.3 | … | … |
| Youths, 15 to 24 years | ||||||
| Population | 4,456.5 | 4,456.1 | -0.4 | -1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Labour force | 2,833.2 | 2,835.9 | 2.7 | -9.7 | 0.1 | -0.3 |
| Employment | 2,435.2 | 2,435.1 | -0.1 | -9.8 | 0.0 | -0.4 |
| Full-time | 1,277.9 | 1,276.1 | -1.8 | -26.9 | -0.1 | -2.1 |
| Part-time | 1,157.3 | 1,159.0 | 1.7 | 17.1 | 0.1 | 1.5 |
| Unemployment | 397.9 | 400.8 | 2.9 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Participation rate | 63.6 | 63.6 | 0.0 | -0.2 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 14.0 | 14.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 54.6 | 54.6 | 0.0 | -0.3 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 47.5 | 47.6 | 0.1 | 0.9 | … | … |
| Men, 25 years and over | ||||||
| Population | 11,740.6 | 11,753.6 | 13.0 | 169.9 | 0.1 | 1.5 |
| Labour force | 8,555.6 | 8,565.6 | 10.0 | 136.3 | 0.1 | 1.6 |
| Employment | 8,011.9 | 8,050.4 | 38.5 | 174.9 | 0.5 | 2.2 |
| Full-time | 7,400.6 | 7,444.0 | 43.4 | 171.9 | 0.6 | 2.4 |
| Part-time | 611.3 | 606.4 | -4.9 | 3.0 | -0.8 | 0.5 |
| Unemployment | 543.7 | 515.3 | -28.4 | -38.5 | -5.2 | -7.0 |
| Participation rate | 72.9 | 72.9 | 0.0 | 0.1 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4 | 6.0 | -0.4 | -0.6 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 68.2 | 68.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 7.6 | 7.5 | -0.1 | -0.2 | … | … |
| Women, 25 years and over | ||||||
| Population | 12,245.8 | 12,258.9 | 13.1 | 169.1 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Labour force | 7,607.7 | 7,622.3 | 14.6 | 142.7 | 0.2 | 1.9 |
| Employment | 7,179.7 | 7,181.1 | 1.4 | 146.8 | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| Full-time | 5,639.6 | 5,639.2 | -0.4 | 161.8 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Part-time | 1,540.2 | 1,542.0 | 1.8 | -14.9 | 0.1 | -1.0 |
| Unemployment | 428.0 | 441.1 | 13.1 | -4.3 | 3.1 | -1.0 |
| Participation rate | 62.1 | 62.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | … | … |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6 | 5.8 | 0.2 | -0.2 | … | … |
| Employment rate | 58.6 | 58.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 | … | … |
| Part-time rate | 21.5 | 21.5 | 0.0 | -0.6 | … | … |
…
not applicable
Note(s):
Related CANSIM table 282-0087.
Employment Numbers 2012
- Employment Hovers in January 2012 in Canada. Both full-time and part-time employment were essentially unchanged in January. Compared with 12 months earlier, full-time workers rose 1.2% (+170,000), while part-time workers fell 1.2% (-41,000). At the same time, total hours worked grew 1.4%, with all of the increase in the first half of the period.
- Unemployment Drops a Little in February 2012. Employment declined in retail and wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; health care and social assistance; and public administration. These declines were offset by increases in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing; educational services; and business, building and other support services.
- Easter Bunny Bounces Jobs Into March 2012 in Canada. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment rose 1.1%, or 197,000. Almost all of this growth was in full-time employment, up 181,000 (+1.3%), while part-time employment edged up. Total hours worked rose 1.6% over the same period.
- More Working and Higher Unemployment in April (2012)! Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was up 1.2% or 214,000. All of the growth over the 12 months was in full-time work, up 217,000 (+1.6%), while part-time employment was unchanged. Total hours worked rose 1.5% over the same period.
- Employment for May 2012 About the Same? Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 1.2% or 203,000. Virtually all of this growth was in full-time work, up 192,000 (+1.4%). Total hours worked rose 1.3% over the same period.
- Leaking Part-time Jobs in July 2012 in Canada is not a good thing over the summer
- More Jobs in August in Canada? Hot Dang! Good news is always good.
- Employment Boost in September in Canada continued; good news
- No More Jobs in October 2012, but No Less. 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.
- Yes! More Jobs in Canada in November 2012. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 1.7% or 294,000, mostly in full-time work. Over the same period, total hours worked rose 1.3%.
- More Jobs in Canada in December 2012. Employment rose by 40,000 in December, the fourth increase in five months. December’s increase was all in full-time work. The unemployment rate declined 0.1 percentage points to 7.1%, the lowest in four years.
I hate saying it but aren’t there always more jobs in December as the Christmas craze is on and people are getting jobs that last through until the first week of January and then are laid off? January and February are usually much higher in job losses aren’t they?
If there was a 0.5% job spike I would be impressed, but 0.1 is still barely a skip on the heartbeat of the country. I will take it but to me it is still way too little.