The Daily — Labour Force Survey, September 2024 (2025)

Released:2024-10-11

Highlights

Employment rose by47,000(+0.2%) in September while the employment rate declined0.1percentage points to60.7%. The unemployment rate fell0.1percentage points to6.5%.

In September, employment rose among youth aged15to24(+33,000; +1.2%) and core-aged women (25to54years old) (+21,000; +0.3%).

There were more people employed in information, culture and recreation (+22,000; +2.6%), wholesale and retail trade (+22,000; +0.8%) and professional, scientific and technical services (+21,000; +1.1%) in September.

Employment increased in Ontario (+43,000; +0.5%), Quebec (+22,000; +0.5%), Manitoba (+5,100; +0.7%) and Nova Scotia (+3,000; +0.6%) in September, while there were declines in British Columbia (-18,000; -0.6%) and New Brunswick (-4,100; -1.0%).

Total hours worked fell0.4% in September but were up1.2% compared with12months earlier.

Average hourly wages among employees increased4.6% (+$1.58to $35.59) on a year-over-year basis in September, following growth of5.0% in August (not seasonally adjusted).

Employment rises in September following four months of little change

Employment rose by47,000(+0.2%) in September, following four consecutive months of little change. Despite the employment gain, the employment rate—the proportion of the population aged15and older who is employed—fell0.1percentage points to60.7% in September.

The employment rate has followed a downward trend since reaching a recent peak of62.4% in January and February2023, as growth in the population aged15and older in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) outpaced employment growth. On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by313,000(+1.5%) in September, while the population aged15and older in the LFS was up by1.2million (+3.6%).

The number of private sector employees increased for the second consecutive month, rising by61,000(+0.5%) in September and bringing the year-over-year increase in private sector employment to193,000(+1.5%). Public sector employment fell by24,000(-0.5%) in September, but was up3.0% (+128,000) compared with12months earlier. Self-employment was little changed in the month and on a year-over-year basis.

Full-time employment rose by112,000(+0.7%) in September, the largest gain since May2022. The increase in September was partially offset by a decline in part-time work (-65,000; -1.7%). On a year-over-year basis, part-time employment rose at a faster pace (+2.0%; +72,000) than full-time employment (+1.4%; +240,000).

Youth and core-aged women drive employment gains in the month

Employment rose among youth aged15to24in September (+33,000; +1.2%), reflecting gains among both young men (+19,000; +1.4%) and young women (+14,000; +1.0%). The youth employment rate was little changed at54.0% in September, but was down3.5percentage points on a year-over-year basis.

In September, employment rose among core-aged (25to54years) women (+21,000; +0.3%) and held steady among core-aged men. The employment rates of core-aged women (80.5%) and core-aged men (86.5%) were each down1.3percentage points on a year-over-year basis.

For people aged55to64, there was little change in the level of employment in September. The employment rate for this group held steady at64.2% both in the month and on a year-over-year basis.

Unemployment rate ticks down for the first time since January

The unemployment rate fell0.1percentage points to6.5% in September, following an increase of0.2percentage points in August. This was the first decline in the unemployment rate since January.

The decline in the overall unemployment rate was driven by youth aged15to24, whose unemployment rate fell1.0percentage points to13.5% in September. Despite the decrease in the month, the youth unemployment rate was up2.8percentage points on a year-over-year basis in September, reflecting increases among both young men (+3.7percentage points to15.3%) and young women (+1.8percentage points to11.5%).

The unemployment rate of core-aged women rose0.3percentage points to5.3% in September, while for core-aged men it was little changed at5.6%. Among people aged55and older, the unemployment rate decreased0.2percentage points to4.9% in September, following four months of little change.

Unemployment rate up among core-aged Black and South Asian Canadians on a year-over-year basis

Among the three largest racialized population groups, the unemployment rate in September was up on a year-over-year basis for core-aged Black Canadians (+3.1percentage points to11.0%) and core-aged South Asian Canadians (+0.9percentage points to7.3%), while it was little changed at5.9% for Chinese Canadians of the same age group (three-month moving averages, not seasonally adjusted).

In comparison, the unemployment rate of core-aged people who were not part of a racialized group and not Indigenous rose from4.0% to4.4% in the12months to September.

Labour force participation rate falls

The labour force participation rate—the proportion of the population aged15and older who are employed or looking for work—fell0.2percentage points to64.9% in September, the third decline in four months. On a year-over-year basis, the overall participation rate was down0.7percentage points.

The participation rate for youth aged15to24fell0.4percentage points to62.4% in September, and has generally followed a downward trend after reaching a peak of66.0% in February2023. Youth labour force participation has historically fallen during periods when the unemployment rate trended up, as young people may delay entering the labour market or pursue full-time studies without holding or seeking a job when labour market conditions are less favourable.

The participation rate of people aged25to54held steady at88.4% in September, as a decline from the previous month among core-aged men was offset by an increase among core-aged women. While participation rates were down on a year-over-year basis for both core-aged men (-0.6percentage points to91.7%) and women (-0.7percentage points to85.0%), they both remained higher than their averages observed from2017to2019(91.2% for men and83.4% for women), just prior to the COVID-19pandemic.

The participation rate of people aged55to64was67.5% in September, little changed in the month and from12months earlier.

Of those not in the labour force in September, the majority were retired (55.1% or6.6million). People going to school and not working or searching for work comprised the second-largest share (17.6% or2.1million). Compared with12months earlier, people going to school and not participating in the labour force accounted for a larger share of all those not in the labour force (+1.4percentage points) (not seasonally adjusted).

Employment rises in three industries

Employment increased in the information, culture and recreation industry by22,000(+2.6%) in September, following seven months of little change. The increase was concentrated in Quebec. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the industry in Canada was up3.1% (+26,000).

In wholesale and retail trade, employment rose22,000(+0.8%) in September, the first increase since January. Despite this increase, employment in wholesale and retail trade has generally trended down since August2023, falling95,000(-3.2%) over the period.

In professional, scientific and technical services, employment increased21,000(+1.1%) in September, offsetting the decline in August (-16,000; -0.8%). Compared with12months earlier, employment in the industry was up by3.1% (+58,000).

Employment increases led by Ontario and Quebec, while British Columbia and New Brunswick post declines

Employment in Ontario rose by43,000(+0.5%) in September, with gains in full-time work. The employment increase in September extends an upward trend for the province that began in December2023, with cumulative gains over the period totalling198,000(+2.5%). The unemployment rate in Ontario decreased0.2percentage points to6.9% in September, but was up0.9percentage points from the same month in2023.

In Quebec, employment increased by22,000(+0.5%) in September, boosted by growth in full-time work (+51,000; +1.4%). Despite the increase in September, employment in Quebec was little changed from a year earlier. The unemployment rate in Quebec in September (5.5%) was little changed in the month, and was up1.0percentage points on a year-over-year basis.

Employment also increased in Manitoba (+5,100; +0.7%) and Nova Scotia (+3,000; +0.6%) in September. The unemployment rate was little changed in both provinces, at5.7% in Manitoba and6.3% in Nova Scotia.

In British Columbia, employment declined by18,000(-0.6%) in September, following four months of little change. The employment rate in the province (60.0%) was down0.5percentage points from August and down1.8percentage points from September2023.

In New Brunswick, employment decreased (-4,100; -1.0%) in September, the first significant decline since September2023. The unemployment rate in the province was little changed at6.7% in September.

Unemployment rate up more steeply in Canada than in the United States on a year-over-year basis

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 September (5.4%) was1.3percentage points higher than in the United States (4.1%). Compared with12months earlier, the unemployment rate increased by0.8percentage points in Canada, while it rose slightly (+0.3percentage points) in the United States.

The employment rate has trended down in Canada over the past12months, falling1.1percentage points to61.3% (adjusted to US concepts). In the United States, the employment rate fell0.2percentage points to60.2% over the same period.

In the spotlight: Compared with Canadian-born workers, recent immigrants less likely to work in a job related to their field of study and more likely to report being overqualified for their job

As new entrants to the Canadian labour market, recent immigrants often face unique challenges finding work related to their education, training and skills. In September, the LFS collected additional information to better understand the fit or mismatch between workers' jobs and their education, training and experience.

Among core-aged workers with a post-secondary diploma or degree in September,64.8% of recent immigrants (those who had become permanent residents in the previous five years) indicated that their job or business was completely or mostly related to their field of education or training. This was7.4percentage points lower than the corresponding proportion for workers born in Canada (72.2%) (not seasonally adjusted).

Among those who were working in a job mostly not related, or not at all related, to their field of education or training, Canadian-born workers (56.8%) were much more likely than recent immigrants (20.4%) to indicate this was mainly because they had chosen to work in a different type of job.

Moreover, just over3in10(30.5%) core-aged recent immigrants with a postsecondary diploma or degree reported that they were overqualified for their job, a proportion significantly higher than for workers born in Canada (19.7%). More established immigrants (those who had become permanent residents more than10years ago) were slightly more likely to indicate that they were overqualified (22.8%) compared with their Canadian-born counterparts.

Core-aged immigrants with post-secondary qualifications who reported being overqualified for their job were most likely to work in health care and social assistance (15.6%), manufacturing (11.9%) and professional, scientific and technical services (10.1%).

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 market indicators, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and self-contained labour areas: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available. This dashboard allows users to visually explore the estimates using an interactive map as well as time series charts and tables.

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).