Labour market report, August 2024

Quick facts

In August 2024:

• There were 13.4 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.7 million (65.0%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 28,000 (0.3%) in August compared to July.
  • 8.1 million (60.4%) were employed, little changed (-8,400 or -0.1%) from July.
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 7.1% in August from 6.7% in July and 621,000 people were unemployed, up by 36,500 (6.2%) from July.

Employment little changed in August

Employment in Ontario was little changed in August (-8,400 or -0.1%), after increasing by 22,400 (0.3%) in July. A total of 8,068,800 people were employed in Ontario in August.

Employment in Canada was little changed in August (22,000 or 0.1%), after little change in July (-2,800 or 0.0%). A total of 20,535,700 people were employed in Canada in August.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment decreased by 32,900 (-0.5%) in August, while part-time employment increased by 24,500 (1.7%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men increased by 9,300 (0.2%) in August, after increasing by 4,100 (0.1%) in July. Total male employment was 4,240,000 in August. Employment for women decreased by 17,800 (-0.5%) in August, after increasing by 18,300 (0.5%) in July. Total female employment was 3,828,700 in August.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 7,300 (-0.7%) in August for a total of 1,035,000, after decreasing by 12,100 (-1.1%) in July. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 decreased by 3,900 (-0.1%) to 5,329,600 in August, after increasing by 64,200 (1.2%) in July. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 2,700 (0.2%) to 1,704,100 in August, after decreasing by 29,600 (-1.7%) in July.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in August were wholesale and retail trade (1,086,900 or 13.5% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,024,300 or 12.7%), professional, scientific and technical services (896,100 or 11.1%), manufacturing (808,300 or 10.0%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (717,400 or 8.9%).

Health care and social assistance (14,300 or 1.4%) and educational services (12,300 or 2.1%) led job gains in August.

Notable employment losses occurred in professional, scientific and technical services (-17,800 or -1.9%) and other services (except public administration) (-13,900 or -4.6%) in August.

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, July 2024 to August 2024.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in August were sales and service (1,736,500 or 21.4% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,325,100 or 16.3%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,130,400 or 13.9%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (850,400 or 10.5%).

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first eight months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023. Management occupations (66,600 or 8.1%) led job gains, followed by natural and applied sciences and related occupations (45,300 or 6.0%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (44,000 or 5.0%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in business, finance and administration occupations (-28,800 or -2.1%), sales and service occupations (-23,200 or -1.4%) and trades, transport and equipment operators (-19,100 or -1.7%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In August 2024, employment in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their August 2023 level, led by Toronto (51,200 or 1.4%) and followed by Hamilton (11,900 or 2.9%) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (11,400 or 3.3%).

Notable employment losses in August were recorded in Belleville (-14,300 or -22.3%), Barrie (-5,800 or -4.5%) and Peterborough (-4,300 or -6.3%).

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

Unemployment rate increased to 7.1%

Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 7.1% in August from 6.7% in July. The provincial unemployment rate has increased significantly since falling to a near-record low in April 2023 (5.1%).

The Canadian unemployment rate increased to 6.6% in August from 6.4% in July. The national unemployment rate has also increased significantly since April 2023 (5.1%).

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

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

The unemployment rate for women increased to 6.6% in August from 6.1% in July. The rate for men was 7.6% in August, up from 7.3% in July.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate increased to 17.5% in August from 16.4% in July. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to 5.5% in August from 5.2% in July. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 5.0% in August from 4.9% in July.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 9.8% in August compared to a 6.1% 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 landed immigrants was 8.1% in August compared to a 6.8% rate for the Canadian-born population in Ontario. The unemployment rate for landed immigrants includes the rates for very recent immigrants (12.7%), recent immigrants (10.1%) and established immigrants (6.4%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 9.6% in August compared to a 7.5% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rates for First Nations people living off reserve (12.0%) and individuals who identify as Métis (7.0%) (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 thirteen of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Peterborough (3.2% in July to 4.5% in August), Oshawa (6.7% to 7.8%) and Brantford (6.0% to 7.0%).

Two CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in August: St. Catharines - Niagara (8.0% in July to 7.5% in August) and Hamilton (7.2% to 6.7%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in London (6.5%) in August.

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

Long-term unemployment

In August, an estimated 132,700 Ontarians or 21.4% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 124,300 Ontarians or 21.3% of all unemployed people in July and 69,100 or 13.7% of all unemployed people a year earlier in August 2023.

The average time in unemployment was 21.3 weeks in August, above the average in July (20.8 weeks) and well above the average in August 2023 (16.9 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $36.61 in August, above the average rate across Canada ($35.16). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in August rose by 5.8% on a year-over-year basis (by $2.00 from $34.61 in August 2023) which was above the 5.0% increase in July.

August’s wage growth (5.8%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of July (2.7%). 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 2024.

The average hourly wage rate was $33.85 for women in August, rising by 4.5% ($1.46) from $32.39 in August 2023. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $39.21, an increase of 6.8% ($2.50) from $36.71 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $21.04 in August, an increase of 4.1% ($0.82) from $20.22 in August 2023. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $39.96 in August, up 5.3% ($2.01) from $37.95 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 7.4% ($2.64) to $38.52 in August from $35.88 a year earlier.

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

1. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: +21.4% ($8.64) to $49.07
2. Utilities: +20.2% ($9.96) to $59.20
3. Professional, scientific and technical services: +9.0% ($4.13) to $50.19

No industries experienced a decrease in their average hourly wage rates in August compared to a year earlier.

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 2024 Labour Market Report

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

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