Labour market report, March 2023

Quick facts

In March 2023:

• There were 12.7 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.3 million (65.5%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 21,700 (0.3%) in March compared to February.
  • 7.9 million (62.2%) were employed, up by 21,400 (0.3%) from February.
• Ontario's unemployment rate held steady at 5.1% in March and 423,800 people were unemployed, which was little changed from February (+200 or 0.0%).

Employment increased in March

Employment in Ontario increased in March by 21,400 (0.3%) to 7,886,700, after increasing by 15,600 (0.2%) in February. Provincial employment has been steadily increasing in recent months, with job gains totalling 171,800 since September 2022.

Employment in Canada increased in March by 34,700 (0.2%), after increasing by 21,800 (0.1%) in February. A total of 20,088,800 people were employed in Canada in March.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Part-time employment accounted for all of March’s job gains, increasing by 33,900 (2.5%) positions. Full-time employment decreased by 12,500 (−0.2%) in March.

Employment change by sex and age

Employment increased by 2,200 (0.1%) to 3,744,100 for women in March after increasing by 5,500 (0.1%) in February. Employment increased by 19,200 (0.5%) for men, after increasing by 10,100 (0.2%) in February. Total male employment was 4,142,600 in March.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 9,100 (−0.9%) to 1,065,100 in March, after increasing by 10,000 (0.9%) in February. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 rose by 6,800 (0.1%) to 5,095,500, after rising by 5,400 (0.1%) in February. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 23,800 (1.4%) to 1,726,100 in March, after being little changed (+100 or 0.0%) in February.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in March included wholesale and retail trade (1,127,300 or 14.3% of total employment), health care and social assistance (969,200 or 12.3%), professional, scientific and technical services (814,500 or 10.3%), manufacturing (787,500 or 10.0%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (693,900 or 8.8%).

Seven of the sixteen major industry groups recorded job gains in March. Transportation and warehousing (18,700 or 5.1%), business, building and other support services (15,100 or 5.3%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (9,500 or 1.4%) and health care and social assistance (8,100 or 0.8%) led job gains.

Employment declined in six of the sixteen major industry groups in March. There were notable employment losses in professional, scientific and technical services (−9,900 or −1.2%), manufacturing (−9,900 or −1.2%) and wholesale and retail trade (−8,800 or −0.8%).

Employment was little changed in educational services (400 or 0.1%), other services (except public administration) (400 or 0.2%) and utilities (−300 or −0.5%) in March.

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, February 2023 to March 2023.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in March included sales and service (1,666,400 or 21.4% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,344,500 or 17.2%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,094,700 or 14.0%), occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (891,500 or 11.2%) and management (820,400 or 10.5%).

Seven of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first three months of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022. Management occupations (64,500 or 6.3%), trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (60,400 or 6.3%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (50,000 or 8.8%) led job gains.

Employment losses were recorded for occupations in manufacturing and utilities (−17,500 or −1.7%), natural resources, agriculture and related production (−4,700 or 7.8%) and sales and service (−2,500 or 1.6%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In March 2023, employment in eleven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was at or above its March 2022 level, led by Toronto (84,000 or 2.4%) and followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (29,300 or 3.7%) and Barrie (20,400 or 17.6%).

Employment losses were recorded in Peterborough (−2,200 or −3.4%) in March.

Employment was little changed in four CMAs, including Hamilton (500 or 0.1%) and St. Catharines-Niagara (−400 or −0.2%).

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

Unemployment rate held steady at 5.1%

Ontario’s unemployment rate was 5.1% in March, matching the rate from February. March’s rate also matched July 2022 and November 1989 as the lowest recorded rate since October 1989 (4.7%). March’s unemployment rate was below the rate from March 2022 (5.3%).

Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.0% for the fourth consecutive month in March. The national unemployment rate was below the rate from March 2022 (5.3%) and remained slightly above the record low of 4.9% reached in June and July 2022.

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

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

The unemployment rate for women was 5.0% in March, down from 5.3% in February. The rate for men was 5.2% in March, up from 5.0% in February.

For individuals aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate declined to 9.8% in March from 11.0% in February. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 increased to 4.5% in March from 4.2% in February. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 3.9%, up from 3.8% in February.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 6.2% in March compared to a 4.8% rate for those who are not visible minorities and did not identify as Indigenous (data are three-month moving averages for the population aged 15 years and over and are not adjusted for seasonality).

The unemployment rate for Ontario’s Indigenous population was estimated at 7.9% in March compared to a 5.3% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The Indigenous population includes First Nations people living off reserve (8.3%) and individuals who identify as Métis (7.0%) (data are three-month moving averages for the population aged 15 years and over and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In March, the average unemployment rate increased from February in six of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Peterborough (4.2% in February to 5.3% in March) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (5.7% to 5.9%).

Five CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in March, led by Brantford (5.8% in February to 5.3% in March) and Belleville (5.5% to 5.1%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in five CMAs in March, including Ottawa-Gatineau (4.1%) and Toronto (5.8%).

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

Long-term unemployment

In March, an estimated 77,900 Ontarians or 18.4% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 68,500 Ontarians or 16.2% of all unemployed people in February and 95,300 or 21.9% of all unemployed people a year earlier in March 2022. The long-term unemployed share in March was the highest seen in Ontario since August 2022 (18.4%).

The average time in unemployment was 18.8 weeks in March, above the average in February (17.7 weeks) but well below the average in March 2022 (21.7 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $34.18 in March, above the average rate across Canada ($33.12). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in March rose by 6.0% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.93 from $32.25 in March 2022), above the 4.8% increase from February. This was the highest average hourly wage growth on a year-over-year basis since November 2022 (6.2%).

March’s wage growth (6.0%) was above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of February (5.1%). 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 March 2023.

The average hourly wage rate was $31.77 for women in March, rising by 7.0% ($2.07) from $29.70 in March 2022. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $36.54, an increase of 5.2% ($1.81) from $34.73 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $20.16 in March, an increase of 6.3% ($1.20) from $18.96 in March 2022. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $37.02 in March, up 7.2% ($2.48) from $34.54 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 2.5% ($0.86) to $35.11 in March from $34.25 a year earlier.

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

1. Agriculture: +37.8% ($7.61) to $27.76
2. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: +19.4% ($7.71) to $47.51
3. Manufacturing: +10.8% ($3.22) to $32.99

Industries with decreases in average hourly wage rates in March compared to a year earlier were:

1. Information, culture and recreation: −2.3% (−$0.74) to $32.00
2. Utilities: −0.7% (−$0.32) to $48.91

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

March 2023 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2005 to March 2023, 1KB
• CSV, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, February 2023 to March 2023, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 3,employment change for occupations in Ontario from March 2022 (year-to-date) to March 2023 (year-to-date), 2KB
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from March 2022 to March 2023, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2005 to March 2023, 2KB
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), March 2023, 1KB
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2005 to March 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 March 2023, 2KB

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