In May 2024, Canada’s employment landscape showed little change, according to the latest Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada — with the national unemployment rate inching up to 6.2%.
The total number of employed individuals increased by 27,000, a modest 0.1% rise from the previous month, bringing the total employment to 20.518 million people. However, the employment rate slightly decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 61.3%, continuing a downward trend seen over the past several months.
The number of people working exclusively from home declined slightly to 13.2% last month, down 1.2 percentage points from one year ago. Hybrid work arrangements remained relatively stable at 10.3%.
Unemployment and employment trends
The unemployment rate inched up to 6.2% in May, a 0.1 percentage point increase from April and a significant 0.9 percentage points higher than the same period last year.
The survey highlighted a nuanced picture of employment across various demographics and sectors.
Employment increased among young women aged 15 to 24 by 48,000 (3.7%) and among women aged 55 and older by 21,000 (1.1%). Conversely, core-aged women (25 to 54) saw a decline of 40,000 (0.6%), and young men experienced a drop of 23,000 (1.6%).
Health care, social assistance jobs grow
Several sectors experienced notable employment shifts in May. Health care and social assistance added 30,000 jobs (1.1%), marking the third consecutive monthly increase.
The finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing sectors also saw gains of 29,000 jobs (2.0%), rebounding from declines in late 2023. Business, building, and other support services grew by 19,000 jobs (2.7%), while accommodation and food services added 13,000 jobs (1.1%).
In contrast, construction saw a significant decrease of 30,000 jobs (1.9%), and transportation and warehousing jobs fell by 21,000 (1.9%). Utilities also reported a decline, losing 5,400 jobs (3.5%).
Provincial employment shifts
Employment growth was uneven across Canada. Ontario led the gains with an increase of 50,000 jobs (0.6%), followed by Manitoba (7,800 jobs, 1.1%) and Saskatchewan (5,400 jobs, 0.9%). However, Alberta faced a decline of 20,000 jobs (0.8%), and smaller decreases were observed in Newfoundland and Labrador (2,100 jobs, 0.9%) and Prince Edward Island (1,100 jobs, 1.2%).
Wage growth and work hours
Average hourly wages continued to grow, rising 5.1% year-over-year to $34.94. This followed a 4.7% increase in April. Despite these gains, total hours worked remained unchanged from April but were up 1.6% compared to May 2023.
Student employment and part-time work
The employment rate for returning students aged 20 to 24 stood at 61.0%, a decrease of 2.9 percentage points from May 2023. The involuntary part-time employment rate also increased, with 18.2% of part-time workers unable to find full-time positions, up from 15.4% a year earlier.
Core-aged women and Indigenous employment
Employment among core-aged women (25 to 54) dropped by 40,000 (0.6%), marking the first decline since March 2022. Among Indigenous populations, the employment rate for core-aged Inuit in Nunavut was 51.8% in 2023, down 5.7 percentage points from the previous year.
Unemployment rate by province
| Province | April 2024 Unemployment Rate (%) | May 2024 Unemployment Rate (%) | Difference (Percentage Points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 9.1 | 9.9 | 0.8 |
| Prince Edward Island | 6.8 | 7.1 | 0.3 |
| Nova Scotia | 6.1 | 6.4 | 0.3 |
| New Brunswick | 7.0 | 7.5 | 0.5 |
| Quebec | 5.1 | 5.1 | 0.0 |
| Ontario | 6.8 | 6.7 | -0.1 |
| Manitoba | 5.1 | 4.9 | -0.2 |
| Saskatchewan | 5.7 | 5.6 | -0.1 |
| Alberta | 7.0 | 7.2 | 0.2 |
| British Columbia | 5.0 | 5.6 | 0.6 |