Canadian employment steady in May with minor gains and losses

According to Statistics Canada, employment in Canada was relatively stable in May, with a modest increase of 27,000 jobs (0.1 percent), and the employment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 61.3 percent.  

The unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.2 percent in May, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month and 0.9 percentage points year-over-year.   

Employment increased for young women aged 15 to 24 (48,000; 3.7 percent) and women aged 55 and older (21,000; 1.1 percent). Conversely, employment declined among core-aged women (25 to 54) by 40,000 (0.6 percent) and young men by 23,000 (1.6 percent).   

Sectoral Employment Changes   

In May, employment rose in health care and social assistance (30,000; 1.1 percent), finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing (29,000; 2.0 percent), business, building and other support services (19,000; 2.7 percent), and accommodation and food services (13,000; 1.1 percent).  

However, employment fell in construction (30,000; 1.9 percent), transportation and warehousing (21,000; 1.9 percent), and utilities (5,400; 3.5 percent).   

Provincial Employment Changes   

Employment grew in Ontario (50,000; 0.6 percent), Manitoba (7,800; 1.1 percent), and Saskatchewan (5,400; 0.9 percent). In contrast, it decreased in Alberta (20,000; 0.8 percent), Newfoundland and Labrador (2,100; 0.9 percent), and Prince Edward Island (1,100; 1.2 percent), with little change in other provinces.   

Work Hours and Wages   

Total hours worked remained unchanged in May but increased by 1.6 percent compared to 12 months earlier. Average hourly wages grew by 5.1 percent ($1.69 to $34.94) year-over-year, following a 4.7 percent increase in April (not seasonally adjusted).   

Student Employment   

The employment rate for returning students aged 20 to 24 was 61.0 percent in May, down 2.9 percentage points from May 2023 (63.9 percent).  

The decline was primarily among male students, whose employment rate fell by 6.6 percentage points to 57.3 percent. Female students had a steady employment rate of 64.2 percent.   

Part-Time Employment   

Part-time employment rose by 62,000 (1.7 percent) in May, while full-time employment declined by 36,000 (0.2 percent). Over the year, part-time employment increased by 3.8 percent (140,000), outpacing full-time employment growth of 1.6 percent (263,000).   

Involuntary Part-Time Work   

The involuntary part-time rate rose to 18.2 percent in May, up from 15.4 percent a year earlier. Increases were notable among women aged 25 to 54 (2.9 percentage points to 22.6 percent) and women aged 55 and older (2.4 percentage points to 10.4 percent).  

Young men also saw an increase (5.6 percentage points to 17.7 percent).   

Youth Employment   

Employment for young women aged 15 to 24 rose by 48,000 (3.7 percent) in May, the first increase in nine months, while employment for young men declined by 23,000 (1.6 percent).  

The youth employment rate held steady at 55.6 percent in May but has generally been declining since a recent high of 59.4 percent in March 2023. Year-over-year, the youth employment rate fell by 2.4 percentage points.   

Core-Aged Employment   

Employment among core-aged women (25 to 54) decreased by 40,000 (0.6 percent) in May, reducing their employment rate to 80.6 percent. Core-aged men's employment held steady, with their employment rate decreasing by 0.2 percentage points to 87.1 percent.   

Older Workers   

Employment for women aged 55 to 64 increased by 25,000 (1.7 percent) in May, while it declined for men in the same age group by 12,000 (0.7 percent). The employment rates were 60.5 percent for women and 70.3 percent for men, relatively unchanged from the previous year.   

Unemployment Trends   

The unemployment rate edged up to 6.2 percent in May, with 1.4 million unemployed people, an increase of 28,000 (2.1 percent) from April. Long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) stood at 18.2 percent in May, up from 13.2 percent in August 2023.   

Indigenous Employment   

The employment rate for core-aged Inuit in Nunavut was 51.8 percent in 2023, down 5.7 percentage points from the previous year. For First Nations people aged 25 to 54 living off-reserve, the employment rate was 68.7 percent, little changed from a year earlier.   

Remote Work Trends   

In May 2024, 13.2 percent of employed Canadians worked exclusively from home, down 1.2 percentage points from May 2023. The proportion of workers with a hybrid work arrangement was 10.3 percent, largely unchanged over the past year.