Labour market report, April 2024

Quick facts

In April 2023:

• There were 13.2 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.6 million (65.0%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 32,500 (0.4%) in April compared to March.
  • 8.0 million (60.6%) were employed, up by 25,000 (0.3%) from March.
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 6.8% in April from 6.7% in March and 583,300 people were unemployed, up by 7,500 (1.3%) from March.

Employment increased in April

Employment in Ontario increased by 25,000 in April (0.3%), after increasing by 26,100 in March (0.3%). A total of 7,995,500 people were employed in Ontario in April.

Employment in Canada increased by 90,400 in April (0.4%), after little change in March (-2,200 or 0.0%). A total of 20,491,100 people were employed in Canada in April.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2015 to April 2024.

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 40,200 (0.6%) in April, while part-time employment decreased by 15,200 (-1.1%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men increased by 28,800 (0.7%) in April, after increasing by 3,200 (0.1%) in March. Total male employment was 4,211,100 in April. Employment for women decreased by 3,800 (-0.1%) in April, after increasing by 22,900 (0.6%) in March. Total female employment was 3,784,400 in April.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment increased by 12,800 (1.3%) in April for a total of 1,018,000, after decreasing by 5,600 (-0.6%) in March. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 30,600 (0.6%) to 5,272,100 in April, after increasing by 31,400 (0.6%) in March. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 18,400 (-1.1%) to 1,705,400 in April, after increasing by 300 (0.0%) in March.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in April were wholesale and retail trade (1,102,200 or 13.8% of total employment), health care and social assistance (989,000 or 12.4%), professional, scientific and technical services (881,100 or 11.0%), manufacturing (820,500 or 10.3%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (681,200 or 8.5%).

Professional, scientific and technical services (15,200 or 1.8%), wholesale and retail trade (11,100 or 1.0%), other services (except public administration) (9,200 or 3.3%) and accommodation and food services (6,700 or 1.6%) led job gains in April.

Notable employment losses occurred in construction (-19,600 or -3.3%), information, culture and recreation (-15,100 or -4.6%) and utilities (-2,400 or -4.0%) in April.

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, March 2024 to April 2024.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in April were sales and service (1,652,800 or 20.7% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,322,600 or 16.6%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,107,100 or 13.9%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (943,700 or 11.8%).

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first four months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023. Management occupations (100,700 or 12.5%) led job gains, followed by natural and applied sciences and related occupations (37,400 or 4.9%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (27,500 or 3.0%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in sales and service occupations (-47,200 or -2.8%) and health occupations (-27,100 or -4.5%).

Chart 3 shows occupations by annual employment change in Ontario, April 2023 to April 2024.

Employment change in urban centres

In April 2024, employment in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their April 2023 level, led by Toronto (33,200 or 0.9%) and followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (25,700 or 3.2%), Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (22,300 or 6.6%) and London (14,400 or 4.8%).

Notable employment losses in April were recorded in Belleville (-23,900 or -37.8%), Barrie (-10,400 or -7.7%) and St. Catharines-Niagara (-6,600 or -3.0%).

Chart 4 shows employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from April 2023 to April 2024.

Unemployment rate increased to 6.8%

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 6.8% in April from 6.7% in March. This was the third consecutive month where the unemployment rate increased. The provincial unemployment rate has increased significantly since falling to a near-record low in April 2023 (5.1%).

The Canadian unemployment rate remained at 6.1% in April.

Chart 5 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2015 to April 2024.

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

The unemployment rate for women was 6.5% in April, up from 6.2% in March. The rate for men was 7.1% in April, down from 7.2% in March.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate decreased to 15.1% in April from 15.7% in March. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to 5.7% in April from 5.6% in March. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 4.8% in April from 4.2% in March.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 8.8% in April compared to a 5.6% 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).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 10.2% in April compared to a 6.7% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rate for First Nations people living off reserve (10.1%) and individuals who identify as Métis (8.9%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In April the average unemployment rate increased from March in ten of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Windsor (7.5% in March to 8.4% in April), Guelph (3.8% to 4.4%) and Ottawa-Gatineau (4.8% to 5.2%).

Five CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in April, led by Kingston (7.0% in March to 6.4% in April), Greater Sudbury (5.6% to 5.2%), Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (6.6% to 6.2%) and Barrie (6.8% to 6.5%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in London (6.4%) in April.

Chart 6 shows the average unemployment rate for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in April 2024.

Long-term unemployment

In April, an estimated 132,900 Ontarians or 22.8% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 122,600 Ontarians or 21.3% of all unemployed people in March and 84,800 or 20.0% of all unemployed people a year earlier in April 2023.

The average time in unemployment was 19.4 weeks in April, slightly above the average in March (19.3 weeks) and well above the average in April 2023 (17.5 weeks).

Chart 7 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2015 to April 2024.

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $35.92 in April, above the average rate across Canada ($34.81). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in April rose by 4.2% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.46 from $34.46 in April 2023) which was below the 4.9% increase in March.

April’s wage growth (4.2%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of March (2.6%). 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 April 2024.

The average hourly wage rate was $33.41 for women in April, rising by 4.1% ($1.32) from $32.09 in April 2023. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $38.37, an increase of 4.4% ($1.61) from $36.76 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $21.28 in April, an increase of 6.2% ($1.24) from $20.04 in April 2023. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $38.48 in April, up 3.4% ($1.26) from $37.22 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 4.2% ($1.50) to $37.38 in April from $35.88 a year earlier.

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

1. Utilities: +11.0% ($5.46) to $54.91
2. Wholesale and retail trade: +7.0% ($1.85) to $28.31
3. Construction: +6.8% ($2.43) to $37.94

Only three industries experienced a decrease in its average hourly wage rate in April compared to a year earlier:

1. Agriculture: -19.2% (-$5.49) to $23.15
2. Business, building and other support services: -3.6% (-$0.98) to $25.92
3. Information, culture and recreation: -2.3% (-$0.75) to $31.40

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

April 2024 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2015 to April 2024, 1Kb
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, March 2024 to April 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from April 2023 to April 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from March 2024 to April 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2015 to April 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), April 2024, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2015 to April 2024, 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 April 2024, 2Kb

Open Government Licence Ontario