Labour market report, September 2023

Quick facts

In September 2023:

• There were 12.9 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older:
  • 8.5 million (65.6%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 22,900 (0.3%) in September compared to August.
  • 8.0 million (61.7%) were employed, up by 19,900 (0.3%) from August.
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 6.0% in September from 5.9% in August and 504,900 people were unemployed, up by 3,100 (0.6%) from August.

Employment increased in September

Employment in Ontario increased by 19,900 (0.3%) in September, after little change in August (-9,000 or -0.1%). A total of 7,960,200 people were employed in Ontario in September.

Employment in Canada increased by 63,800 (0.3%) in September, after increasing by 39,900 (0.2%) in August. A total of 20,270,100 people were employed in Canada in September.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 12,300 (0.2%) in September, while part-time employment increased by 7,600 (0.6%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment increased by 8,200 (0.2%) for men in September, after decreasing by 19,900 (-0.5%) in August. Total male employment was 4,184,700 in September. Employment for women increased by 11,600 (0.3%) in September, after rising by 11,000 (0.3%) in August. Total female employment was 3,775,500 in September.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment increased by 5,900 (0.6%) in September to 1,044,900, after decreasing by 16,100 (-1.5%) in August. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 23,900 (0.5%) in September and totalled 5,182,400, after increasing by 10,300 (0.2%) in August. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 9,800 (-0.6%) to 1,733,000 in September, after decreasing by 3,300 (-0.2%) in August.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in September were wholesale and retail trade (1,133,000 or 14.2% of total employment), health care and social assistance (985,000 or 12.4%), professional, scientific and technical services (841,700 or 10.6%), manufacturing (813,000 or 10.2%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (673,900 or 8.5%).

Seven of the sixteen major industry groups recorded job gains in September. Educational services (27,800 or 5.1%), health care and social assistance (15,800 or 1.6%), transportation and warehousing (12,100 or 3.1%) and professional, scientific and technical services (11,700 or 1.4%) led job gains.

Notable employment losses occurred in information, culture and recreation (-19,600 or -5.9%), wholesale and retail trade (-17,300 or -1.5%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (-13,300 or -1.9%) in September.

Employment was unchanged in other services (except public administration) and business, building and other support services in September.

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

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in September were sales and service (1,651,400 or 20.9% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,326,600 or 16.8%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,119,700 or 14.2%), occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (901,000 or 11.4%) and management (851,800 or 10.8%).

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first nine months of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022. Management occupations (64,600 or 8.5%) led job gains, followed by trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (61,500 or 5.8%), business, finance and administration occupations (36,300 or 2.8%) and occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport (30,400 or 14.4%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-16,800 or -4.3%), natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (-6,800 or –7.0%), and natural and applied sciences and related occupations (-2,600 or -0.3%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In September 2023, employment in eleven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their September 2022 level, led by Toronto (113,000 or 3.2%) and followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (34,700 or 4.3%), Windsor (25,800 or 15.9%), London (17,700 or 6.0%) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (10,600 or 3.1%).

Employment losses in September were recorded in Hamilton (-8,400 or -2.0%), Brantford (-3,000 or -3.8%), Oshawa (-1,600 or -0.7%) and Belleville (-1,000 or -1.6%).

Employment was little changed in Barrie in September.

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

Unemployment rate increased to 6.0%

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 6.0% in September from 5.9% in August. September’s unemployment rate increased as employment gains were outpaced by growth in the labour force.

The Canadian unemployment rate remained at 5.5% in September, the third consecutive month where the national rate was 5.5%.

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

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

The unemployment rate for women was 6.1% in September, down from 6.2% in August. The rate for men was 5.9% in September, up from 5.7% in August.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate fell to 11.7% in September from 13.9% in August. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 increased to 5.2% in September from 4.8% in August. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 4.5% in September from 4.2% in August.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 8.5% in September compared to a 5.1% 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 8.3% in September 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 (8.7%) and individuals who identify as Métis (7.3%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In September, the average unemployment rate increased from August in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Guelph (4.2% in August to 4.9% in September), Oshawa (5.1% to 5.8%) and London (5.6% to 6.0%).

Five CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in September, led by Peterborough (4.0% in August to 2.4% in September), Belleville (10.5% to 9.8%) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (5.6% to 5.3%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Toronto (6.5%) and Barrie (4.5%) in September.

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

Long-term unemployment

In September, an estimated 82,200 Ontarians or 16.3% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 68,000 Ontarians or 13.6% of all unemployed people in August and 68,200 or 15.0% of all unemployed people a year earlier in September 2022.

The average time in unemployment was 16.9 weeks in September, unchanged from the average in August (16.9 weeks) and slightly above the average in September 2022 (16.8 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $35.10 in September, above the average rate across Canada ($34.01). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in September rose by 4.5% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.52 from $33.58 in September 2022) and was below the 5.2% increase in August.

September’s wage growth (4.5%) was above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of August (3.8%). 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 September 2023.

The average hourly wage rate was $32.63 for women in September, rising by 3.7% ($1.16) from $31.47 in September 2022. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $37.50, an increase of 5.2% ($1.87) from $35.63 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $20.39 in September, an increase of 1.9% ($0.38) from $20.01 in September 2022. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $37.71 in September, up 4.2% ($1.51) from $36.20 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 6.5% ($2.24) to $36.79 in September from $34.55 a year earlier.

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

• Agriculture: +35.4% ($7.57) to $28.93
• Manufacturing: +8.7% ($2.73) to $34.08
• Construction: +7.8% ($2.67) to $36.72

Only two industries experienced a decrease in average hourly wage rate in September compared to a year earlier:

1. Accommodation and food services: -2.2% (-$0.43) to $19.35
2. Educational services: -0.8% (-$0.33) to $39.94

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

September 2023 Labour Market Report:

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