Work in Canada
Labour Force Survey: Canadian Employment Increased by 10,000 in November 2022
According to Statistics Canada’s most recent Labour Force Survey (November 2022), women between the ages of 25 and 54 (core working age) saw an increase in employment of 0.4%. The most recent job results of recent Canadian immigrants are of particular interest, especially because Canada’s most recent Immigration Levels Plan (2023-2025) declared all-time high immigration targets over the next few years.
In November 2022, the employment rate for core working-age women immigrants to Canada over the previous five years was 69.7%. This reflects the greatest employment rate in the previous 16 years for the core working age group of women.
The overall employment rate for Canadians who are of core working age increased by 0.8% year over year (YOY), reaching 84.7%. The employment rate for this category has increased to 81.6%, breaking the previous record high of 81.4% achieved in May 2022. Now at 87.8%, the employment rate for men in the core working age group.
General Trends in Employment in Canada
Reviewing Canadian employment more broadly, 10,000 additional jobs were added nationwide in November 2022. Canada’s 5.1% national unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points. In November, Canada’s employment participation rate decreased as well, to 64.8%. The average hourly salaries of employees stayed above 5% for a sixth consecutive month in November. This would imply that immigrants will continue to have greater employment options in Canada as well as rising earning potential over time.
Employment Trends By Province
According to the latest Labour Force Survey, employment outcomes differed between provinces and territories across Canada. The results are outlined below;
Quebec
Employment rose by 28,000 jobs in the province while the unemployment rate attained a new record as low as 3.8% in November 2022.
Prince Edward Island
Employment fell by 1.7% causing the unemployment rate to jump to 6.8%.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Overall employment decreased by 1.5%, though the unemployment rate remained relatively steady at 10.7%.
Manitoba
Employment declined by 0.8% but the provincial unemployment rate remained steady at 4.4%.
Alberta
The unemployment rate increased to 5.8% as employment in the province fell by 0.6%.
British Columbia
Overall employment in this province declined by 0.5% in November
Ontario
The unemployment rate throughout the province came down from 5.5% to 0.4% points
Employment Trends By Industry
Employment across Canada rose in the following industries: finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing, manufacturing, information, culture, and recreation (ICR).
In November, there were 21,000 more persons employed in the banking, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing sectors, while retail trade occupations accounted for 11.2% of all jobs in Canada. In addition, manufacturing employment increased across Canada by 1.1%.
Employment in the ICR sector increased by 1.9% in November and by 4.5% over the previous year. Since the most recent Labour Force Survey in October 2022, employment in the construction business has decreased by 1.6% across Canada. Employment in the wholesale and retail trade decreased in November as well, falling 0.8%, in a sector that has gone through a total reduction of 4.4% since May 2022. In November 2022, employment in Canada’s professional, scientific, and technical services industries fell by 0.8% nationwide. The computer and communications technology industry also saw a fall in employment.
What is Next?
The above-outlined employment results by industry explain why Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) across this country are becoming more important in Canadian immigration. With Canada expected to continue targeting more foreign nationals through PNPs than Express Entry, it is evident that the government is trying harder to address specific labour market gaps in all Canadian regions that operate a PNP.
The country has also recently switched from the NOC 2016 system to a new Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system with NOC 2021. This new system will allow Canada to better understand the country’s labour market, improve occupational forecasting, perform better labour supply and demand analysis, and provide both Canadians and foreign nationals with more focused job training and skill development.
