Labour market report, July 2024

Quick facts

In July 2024:

• There were 13.3 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older
  • 8.7 million (65.0%) were in the labour force. The labour force decreased by 1,000 (0.0%) in July compared to June.
  • 8.1 million (60.6%) were employed, up by 22,400 (0.3%) from June.
• Ontario's unemployment rate decreased to 6.7% in July from 7.0% in June and 584,500 people were unemployed, down by 23,400 (-3.8%) from June.

Employment increased in July

Employment in Ontario increased by 22,400 (0.3%), after little change in June (9,800 or 0.1%). A total of 8,077,200 people were employed in Ontario in July.

Employment in Canada was little changed in July (-2,800 or 0.0%), after little change in June (-1,400 or 0.0%). A total of 20,513,600 people were employed in Canada in July.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 69,900 (1.1%) in July, while part-time employment decreased by 47,500 (-3.2%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men increased by 4,100 (0.1%) in July, after decreasing by 10,700 (-0.3%) in June. Total male employment was 4,230,700 in July. Employment for women increased by 18,300 (0.5%) in July, after increasing by 20,500 (0.5%) in June. Total female employment was 3,846,500 in July.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 12,100 (-1.1%) in July for a total of 1,042,300, after increasing by 8,500 (0.8%) in June. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 64,200 (1.2%) to 5,333,500 in July, after decreasing by 8,000 (-0.2%) in June. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 29,600 (-1.7%) to 1,701,400 in July, after increasing by 9,200 (0.5%) in June.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in July were wholesale and retail trade (1,090,500 or 13.5% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,010,000 or 12.5%), professional, scientific and technical services (913,900 or 11.3%), manufacturing (807,200 or 10.0%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (715,700 or 8.9%).

Public administration (15,300 or 3.4%), transportation and warehousing (14,200 or 3.5%) and professional, scientific and technical services (12,700 or 1.4%) led job gains in July.

Notable employment losses occurred in wholesale and retail trade (-13,900 or -1.3%), construction (-8,600 or -1.5%) and manufacturing (-7,700 or -0.9%) in July.

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

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in July were sales and service (1,734,500 or 21.3% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,309,800 or 16.1%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,120,800 or 13.8%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (874,000 or 10.7%).

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first seven months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023. Management occupations (75,100 or 9.2%) led job gains, followed by natural and applied sciences and related occupations (46,100 or 6.1%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (40,000 or 4.5%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in sales and service occupations (-33,200 or -2.0%), business, finance and administration occupations (-25,600 or -1.9%) and trades, transport and equipment operators (-19,200 or -1.7%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In July 2024, employment in eleven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their July 2023 level, led by Toronto (44,400 or 1.2%) and followed by Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (15,300 or 4.4%), Hamilton (11,600 or 2.8%) and Oshawa (6,700 or 3.0%).

Notable employment losses in July were recorded in Belleville (-15,300 or -23.8%), Barrie (-9,000 or -6.8%) and Greater Sudbury (-2,800 or -3.3%).

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

Unemployment rate decreased to 6.7%

Ontario’s unemployment rate decreased to 6.7% in July from 7.0% in June. 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 6.4% 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 July 2024.

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

The unemployment rate for women decreased to 6.1% in July from 6.6% in June. The rate for men was 7.3% in July, down from 7.4% in June.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate decreased to 16.4% in July from 16.5% in June. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 fell to 5.2% in July from 5.6% in June. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 4.9% in July from 4.7% in June.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 9.4% in July compared to a 5.7% 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 7.8% in June compared to a 6.3% rate for the Canadian-born population in Ontario. The unemployment rate for landed immigrants includes the rates for very recent immigrants (13.6%), recent immigrants (8.9%) and established immigrants (6.0%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 10.0% in July compared to a 7.1% 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 (8.0%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In July, the average unemployment rate increased from June in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Kingston (5.3% in June to 6.0% in July), Oshawa (6.0% to 6.7%) and Barrie (5.8% to 6.2%).

Four CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in July: St. Catharines - Niagara (8.4% in June to 8.0% in July), Belleville (6.2% to 5.8%), Hamilton (7.3% to 7.2%) and Toronto (7.8% to 7.7%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in three CMAs in July: Peterborough (3.2%), Windsor (9.1%) and Thunder Bay (3.0%).

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

Long-term unemployment

In July, an estimated 124,300 Ontarians or 21.3% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 124,600 Ontarians or 21.6% of all unemployed people in June and 73,900 or 15.5% of all unemployed people a year earlier in July 2023.

The average time in unemployment was 20.8 weeks in July, above the average in June (19.3 weeks) and well above the average in July 2023 (18.1 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $36.14 in July, above the average rate across Canada ($34.97). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in July rose by 5.0% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.71 from $34.43 in July 2023) which was below the 5.4% increase in June.

July’s wage growth (5.0%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of June (3.0%). 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 July 2024.

The average hourly wage rate was $33.37 for women in July, rising by 4.0% ($1.27) from $32.10 in July 2023. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $38.77, an increase of 5.9% ($2.15) from $36.62 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $21.45 in July, an increase of 5.7% ($1.16) from $20.29 in July 2023. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $39.13 in July, up 3.4% ($1.28) from $37.85 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 8.8% ($3.15) to $38.78 in July from $35.63 a year earlier.

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

1. Utilities: +19.5% ($9.99) to $61.27
2. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: +12.8% ($5.55) to $48.75
3. Professional, scientific and technical services: +9.5% ($4.41) to $50.78

Only one industry experienced a decrease in their average hourly wage rates in July compared to a year earlier:

1. Business, building and other support services: -5.5% (-$1.47) to $25.34

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

July 2024 Labour Market Report:

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

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