Labour market report, October 2023

Quick facts

In October 2023:

• There were 12.9 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.5 million (65.5%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 5,200 (0.1%) in October compared to September.
  • 7.9 million (61.4%) were employed, down by 14,300 (0.2%) from September.
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 6.2% in October from 6.0% in September and 524,500 people were unemployed, up by 19,600 (3.9%) from September.

Employment decreased in October

Employment in Ontario decreased by 14,300 (-0.2%) in October, after increasing by 19,900 (0.3%) in September. A total of 7,945,900 people were employed in Ontario in October.

Employment in Canada increased by 17,500 (0.1%) in October, after increasing by 63,800 (0.3%) in September. A total of 20,287,600 people were employed in Canada in October.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment decreased by 26,900 (-0.4%) in October, while part-time employment increased by 12,600 (0.9%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment decreased by 6,700 (-0.2%) for men in October, after increasing by 8,200 (0.2%) in September. Total male employment was 4,178,000 in October. Employment for women decreased by 7,700 (-0.2%) in October, after rising by 11,600 (0.3%) in September. Total female employment was 3,767,800 in October.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 18,900 (-1.8%) in October to 1,026,000, after increasing by 5,900 (0.6%) in September. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 7,500 (0.1%) in October and totalled 5,189,900, after increasing by 23,900 (0.5%) in September. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 3,000 (-0.2%) to 1,730,000 in October, after decreasing by 9,800 (-0.6%) in September.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in October were wholesale and retail trade (1,103,800 or 13.9% of total employment), health care and social assistance (991,900 or 12.5%), professional, scientific and technical services (843,700 or 10.6%), manufacturing (808,800 or 10.2%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (666,600 or 8.4%).

Eight of the sixteen major industry groups recorded job gains in October. Information, culture and recreation (17,400 or 5.6%), educational services (9,000 or 1.6%), health care and social assistance (6,900 or 0.7%) and transportation and warehousing (5,500 or 1.4%) led job gains.

Notable employment losses occurred in wholesale and retail trade (-29,200 or -2.6%), accommodation and food services (-8,500 or -1.9%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (-7,300 or -1.1%) in October.

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, September 2023 to October 2023.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in October were sales and service (1,642,600 or 20.7% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,353,400 or 17.0%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,112,600 or 14.0%), occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (925,800 or 11.7%) and management (834,100 or 10.5%).

Seven of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first ten months of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022. Management occupations (61,700 or 8.1%) led job gains, followed by trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (58,200 or 5.5%), business, finance and administration occupations (38,600 or 2.9%) and occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport (29,600 or 14.1%).

Employment losses were recorded in occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-15,400 or -4.0%), natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (-5,500 or -5.6%), and sales and service occupations (-4,000 or -0.2%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In October 2023, employment in eleven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their October 2022 level, led by Toronto (120,500 or 3.4%) and followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (40,400 or 5.0%), London (20,200 or 6.9%), Windsor (16,800 or 10.0%) and St. Catharines - Niagara (14,200 or 6.6%).

Employment losses in October were recorded in Hamilton (-5,900 or -1.4%), Belleville (-3,600 or -5.9%), Brantford (-3,500 or -4.3%) and Oshawa (-2,600 or -1.6%).

Employment was unchanged in Kingston in October.

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

Unemployment rate increased to 6.2%

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 6.2% in October from 6.0% in September. October’s unemployment rate increased as growth in the number of unemployed people outpaced growth in the labour force.

The Canadian unemployment rate increased to 5.7% in October following three consecutive months where the national rate was 5.5%.

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

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

The unemployment rate for women was 6.1% in October, unchanged from the rate in September. The rate for men was 6.2% in October, up from 5.9% in September.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate rose to 14.0% in October from 11.7% in September. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 decreased to 4.9% in October from 5.2% in September. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 5.0% in October from 4.5% in September.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 8.3% in October 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 9.5% in October compared to a 6.2% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rate for First Nations people living off reserve (9.1%) and individuals who identify as Métis (9.4%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In October, the average unemployment rate increased from September in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Oshawa (5.8% in September to 6.9% in October), Windsor (6.0% to 7.1%) and Guelph (4.9% to 6.0%).

Six CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in October, led by Belleville (9.8% in September to 6.5% in October), Brantford (4.7% to 4.1%) and Peterborough (2.4% to 1.9%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Ottawa-Gatineau (4.9%) in October.

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

Long-term unemployment

In October, an estimated 93,500 Ontarians or 17.8% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 82,200 Ontarians or 16.3% of all unemployed people in September and 79,200 or 17.0% of all unemployed people a year earlier in October 2022.

The average time in unemployment was 18.1 weeks in October, above the average in September (16.9 weeks) but slightly below the average in October 2022 (18.3 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $35.29 in October, above the average rate across Canada ($34.08). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in October rose by 5.2% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.76 from $33.53 in October 2022) which was above the 4.5% increase in September.

October’s wage growth (5.2%) was above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of September (3.6%). 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 October 2023.

The average hourly wage rate was $32.93 for women in October, rising by 5.7% ($1.78) from $31.15 in October 2022. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $37.58, an increase of 4.9% ($1.75) from $35.83 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $20.68 in October, an increase of 4.6% ($0.91) from $19.77 in October 2022. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $38.08 in October, up 5.0% ($1.80) from $36.28 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 5.7% ($1.97) to $36.39 in October from $34.42 a year earlier.

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

1. Agriculture: +23.6% ($5.16) to $27.00
2. Utilities: +11.0% ($5.40) to $54.35
3. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: +10.3% ($4.03) to $43.34

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

1. Accommodation and food services: -1.3% (-$0.27) to $19.80

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

October 2023 Labour Market Report:

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

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