Labour market report, August 2023

Quick facts

In August 2023:

• There were 12.9 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.4 million (65.6%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 20,200 (0.2%) in August compared to July.
  • 7.9 million (61.7%) were employed, down by 9,000 (−0.1%) from July.
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 5.9% in August from 5.6% in July and 501,800 people were unemployed, up by 29,100 (6.2%) from July.

Employment little changed in August

Employment in Ontario was little changed in August (−9,000 or −0.1%), after little change in July (−2,000 or 0.0%). A total of 7,940,300 people were employed in Ontario in August.

Employment in Canada increased by 39,900 (0.2%) in August, after little change in July (−6,400 or 0.0%). A total of 20,206,300 people were employed in Canada in August.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2005 to August 2023.

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 17,100 (0.3%) in August, while part-time employment decreased by 26,100 (−1.9%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment decreased by 19,900 (−0.5%) for men in August, after little change in July (1,400 or 0.0%). Total male employment was 4,176,500 in August. Employment for women increased by 11,000 (0.3%) in August, after falling by 3,400 (−0.1%) in July. Total female employment was 3,763,900 in August.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 16,100 (−1.5%) in August to 1,039,000, after increasing by 1,900 (0.2%) in July. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 10,300 (0.2%) in August and totalled 5,158,500, after decreasing by 18,800 (−0.4%) in July. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 3,300 (−0.2%) to 1,742,800 in August, after increasing by 15,000 (0.9%) in July.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in August were wholesale and retail trade (1,150,300 or 14.5% of total employment), health care and social assistance (969,200 or 12.2%), professional, scientific and technical services (830,000 or 10.5%), manufacturing (814,100 or 10.3%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (687,200 or 8.7%).

Nine of the sixteen major industry groups recorded job gains in August. Professional, scientific and technical services (24,200 or 3.0%), construction (10,800 or 1.8%), wholesale and retail trade (9,800 or 0.9%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (5,800 or 0.9%) led job gains.

Notable employment losses occurred in educational services (−35,600 or −6.2%), manufacturing (−13,600 or −1.6%) and business, building and other support services (−11,200 or −3.9%) in August.

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, June 2023 to August 2023.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in August were sales and service (1,690,200 or 21.2% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,376,500 or 17.2%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,149,000 or 14.4%), management (856,000 or 10.7%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (778,000 or 9.7%).

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first eight months of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022. Management occupations (67,300 or 8.9%) led job gains, followed by trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (65,300 or 6.2%), occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport (32,500 or 15.5%) and business, finance and administration occupations (32,200 or 2.4%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in occupations in manufacturing and utilities (−18,400 or −4.7%), natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (−8,200 or –8.5%), and natural and applied sciences and related occupations (−6,600 or −0.9%).

Chart 3 shows occupations by employment change in Ontario, August 2022 (year-to-date) to August 2023 (year-to-date).

Employment change in urban centres

In August 2023, employment in ten of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their August 2022 level, led by Toronto (107,900 or 3.0%) and followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (40,600 or 5.1%), Windsor (25,000 or 15.1%), London (17,600 or 6.0%) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (11,300 or 3.3%).

Employment losses in August were recorded in Hamilton (−8,500 or −2.0%), St. Catharines-Niagara (−4,300 or −2.0%), Oshawa (−2,900 or −1.3%) and Brantford (−2,300 or −2.9%).

Employment was little changed in Greater Sudbury and Peterborough in August.

Chart 4 shows employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from August 2022 to August 2023.

Unemployment rate increased to 5.9%

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 5.9% in August from 5.6% in July. August’s unemployment rate increased as employment losses were exceeded by growth in the labour force.

The Canadian unemployment rate remained at 5.5% in August, following three consecutive monthly increases in the rate.

Chart 5 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2005 to August 2023.

Unemployment rate by sex, age, visible minority status and Indigenous group

The unemployment rate for women was 6.2% in August, down from 6.3% in July. The rate for men was 5.7% in August, up from 5.0% in July.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate rose to 13.9% in August from 12.2% in July. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 remained at 4.8% in August. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 4.2% in August from 3.8% in July.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 8.4% in August compared to a 5.0% rate for those who are not visible minorities and did not identify as Indigenous (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

The unemployment rate for Ontario’s Indigenous population was estimated at 7.9% in August compared to a 6.3% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rate for First Nations people living off reserve (9.0%) and individuals who identify as Métis (5.6%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In August, the average unemployment rate increased from July in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in St. Catharines-Niagara (6.0% in July to 6.9% in August), Brantford (4.2% to 4.8%) and London (5.0% to 5.6%).

Five CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in August, led by Peterborough (6.8% in July to 4.0 in August), Oshawa (5.4% to 5.1%) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (5.9% to 5.6%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Hamilton (5.3%) and Barrie (4.5%) in August.

Chart 6 shows the average unemployment rate for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in August 2023.

Long-term unemployment

In August, an estimated 68,000 Ontarians or 13.6% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 72,000 Ontarians or 15.2% of all unemployed people in July and 84,900 or 18.4% of all unemployed people a year earlier in August 2022.

The average time in unemployment was 16.9 weeks in August, below the average in July (17.5 weeks) and the average in August 2022 (19.7 weeks).

Chart 7 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2005 to August 2023.

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $34.61 in August, above the average rate across Canada ($33.47). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in August rose by 5.2% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.71 from $32.90 in August 2022) and was below the 5.7% increase in July.

August’s wage growth (5.2%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of July (3.2%). The CPI is a measure of inflation that represents changes in prices for goods and services as experienced by consumers.

Chart 8 shows the year-over-year percentage change in Ontario’s average hourly wage rate and the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), January 2015 to August 2023.

The average hourly wage rate was $32.39 for women in August, rising by 5.8% ($1.78) from $30.61 in August 2022. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $36.71, an increase of 4.6% ($1.63) from $32.90 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $20.22 in August, an increase of 4.8% ($0.92) from $19.30 in August 2022. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $37.95 in August, up 5.3% ($1.92) from $36.03 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 3.8% ($1.33) to $35.88 in August from $34.55 a year earlier.

In August, the industries with the largest increases in average hourly wage rates compared to a year earlier were:

1. Agriculture: +18.2% ($3.76) to $24.37
2. Public administration: +11.5% ($4.69) to $45.39
3. Other services (except public administration): +9.4% ($2.55) to $29.76

Only one industry experienced a decrease in average hourly wage rate in August compared to a year earlier:

1. Information, culture and recreation: −1.6% (−$0.51) to $30.69

Changes in average hourly wages by industry are the result of multiple factors, including wage growth and shifts in the composition of employment by job tenure and occupation.

Download data

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

August 2023 Labour Market Report

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2005 to August 2023, 1KB
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, June 2023 to August 2023, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from August 2022 (year-to-date) to August 2023 (year-to-date), 2KB
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from July 2022 to August 2023, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2005 to August 2023, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), 2KB
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2005 to August 2023, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 8, year-over-year percentage change in Ontario’s average hourly wage rate and the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), January 2015 to August 2023, 2KB

Open Government Licence Ontario