The Daily — Labour Force Survey, June 2024 (2024)

Released:2024-07-05

Highlights

Employment was virtually unchanged in June (-1,400; -0.0%), and the employment rate fell0.2percentage points to61.1%.

The unemployment rate increased0.2percentage points to6.4% in June and has risen1.3percentage points since April2023.

In June, employment fell among young men aged15to24(-13,000; -0.9%), while it increased for core-aged women (aged25to54) (+19,000; +0.3%).

There were declines in the number of people working in transportation and warehousing (-12,000; -1.1%) as well as in public administration (-8,800; -0.7%) in June. At the same time, there were more people employed in accommodation and food services (+17,000; +1.5%) and in agriculture (+12,000; +5.5%).

Employment declined in Quebec (-18,000; -0.4%) in June, while it increased in New Brunswick (+3,000; +0.8%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (+2,600; +1.1%).

Total hours worked were down0.4% in June. On a year-over-year basis, total hours worked were up1.1%.

Average hourly wages among employees increased5.4% in June on a year-over-year basis, following growth of5.1% in May (not seasonally adjusted).

The employment rate for returning students aged15to24was46.8% in June, down from51.7% a year earlier (not seasonally adjusted).

Employment virtually unchanged in June

Employment was virtually unchanged (-1,400; -0.0%) in June, following little change in May (+27,000; +0.1%).

The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged15and older who are employed—declined by0.2percentage points to61.1% in June, the eighth decrease in the past nine months. The employment rate has declined by1.3percentage points from the recent high of62.4% observed in January and February of2023.

On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by1.7% (+343,000) in June2024. Employment growth in the12months to June was faster in the public sector (+4.3%; +183,000) than in the private sector (+0.8%; +106,000). Self-employment in June was up on a year-over-year basis (+2.1%; +55,000), but remained lower than its average from2017to2019(-4.3%; -121,000), prior to the COVID-19pandemic.

Employment rate declines for youth and core-aged men

Employment fell among young men aged15to24in June (-13,000; -0.9%), while it held steady for young women. The overall youth employment rate has been on a strong downward trend since April2023, falling4.4percentage points to54.8% in June2024.

For men aged25to54, employment was little changed (-14,000; -0.2%) in June, and the employment rate fell0.5percentage points to86.6%. This extended a downward trend in the employment rate from a recent high of88.2% in June2023. The rate in June2024was comparable to the pre-pandemic average of86.5% observed from2017to2019.

For women aged25to54, employment rose in June2024(+19,000; +0.3%) and the employment rate held steady at80.6%. The employment rate of core-aged women has trended down from the record high of82.0% in January and March of2023, but remained above the pre-pandemic average observed from2017to2019(79.3%).

Employment for people aged55to64was little changed in June2024. On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate for people in this age group was up by0.9percentage points to69.8% for men, and was little changed at60.4% for women.

Employment rate of returning students at its lowest point since June1998

From May to August, the Labour Force Survey collects labour market information from students who attended school full time in March and who intend to return to school full time in the fall.

In June, the employment rate for returning students aged15to24was46.8%, the lowest rate since June1998, outside of June2020during the first year of the pandemic (not seasonally adjusted). This marks a notable decline from the recent high of53.7% observed in June2022.

The unemployment rate among returning students was15.9% in June2024, and was up3.8percentage points from a year earlier. This indicates that students are facing more difficulties finding work as they enter the summer job market.

In June, the employment rate for male returning students was44.4%, down5.5percentage points from a year earlier. Among female returning students,49.0% were employed in June, down4.4percentage points over the same period.

Returning students who were employed in June2024were more likely to work part-time (68.0%) compared with June2023(66.9%) and June2022(63.9%).

Unemployment rate rises to6.4%

The overall unemployment rate rose0.2percentage points to6.4% in June. It has trended up since April2023, rising1.3percentage points over the period. There were1.4million unemployed people in June2024, an increase of42,000(+3.1%) from the previous month.

Of those who were unemployed in May, just over one-fifth (21.4%) had transitioned to employment in June (not seasonally adjusted). This was lower than the pre-pandemic average for the same months in2017,2018, and2019(26.7%). A lower proportion of unemployed people transitioning into employment may indicate that people are facing greater difficulties finding work in the current labour market.

As the unemployment rate has increased over the past year, so too has the proportion of long-term unemployed. Among the unemployed,17.6% had been continuously unemployed for27weeks or more in June2024, up4.0percentage points from a year earlier.

Older unemployed persons were more likely to be in long-term unemployment;22.0% of unemployed people aged55and older had been continuously unemployed for27weeks or more in June. In comparison, the proportion was19.3% for those in the core-aged group and12.2% for youth.

Youth unemployment rate increases in June

The overall unemployment rate for youth (aged15to24) rose0.9percentage points to13.5% in June. This was the highest rate since September2014, outside of2020and2021during the pandemic. On a year-over-year basis, the youth unemployment rate was up2.1percentage points in June2024.

The unemployment rate for core-aged men rose0.2percentage points to5.6% in June. The rate for this group has trended up from a recent low of4.0% in October2022. Among core-aged women, the unemployment rate was unchanged at5.1% in June2024, and was up from a recent low of4.1% in January2023.

For people aged55and older, the unemployment rate was little changed at4.9% in June2024. On a year-over-year basis, it was up by0.7percentage points to5.1% for men in this age group, while it was little changed at4.8% for women.

Unemployment rates rise for Black and South Asian Canadians

In the12months to June, the unemployment rate rose by4.4percentage points to11.9% for core-aged Black Canadians (three-month moving averages, not seasonally adjusted). The rate was up by5.7percentage points to12.3% for Black men and by3.0percentage points to11.4% for Black women.

Among South Asians in the core-aged group, the unemployment rate was up1.7percentage points on a year-over-year basis to6.7% in June. For core-aged South Asian women, the unemployment rate was7.8% (+1.8percentage points from a year earlier), while it was5.9% for core-aged South Asian men (+1.7percentage points from a year earlier).

For core-aged Chinese Canadians, the unemployment rate was6.3% in June, and was little changed compared with12months earlier.

In comparison, the unemployment rate rose by0.3percentage points to3.8% in the12months to June among the non-racialized, non-Indigenous population of core working age.

Wages increase on a year-over-year basis in June

On a year-over-year basis, average hourly wages for employees were up by5.4% (+$1.79to $34.91) in June, following growth of5.1% in May. Average hourly wages were up by5.2% (+$1.62to $32.57) among women in June and by5.5% (+$1.92to $37.13) among men.

Wage growth remained relatively widespread across the wage distribution. On a year-over-year basis, the average hourly wage for employees in the bottom25% of the wage distribution was up by4.2% (to $17.74per hour) in June, while for those in the top25% of the wage distribution, it was up by6.9% to $61.27per hour.

In general, year-over-year growth in average hourly wages can reflect a range of factors, including changes in wages, composition of employment, and base-year effects.

Employment falls in transportation and warehousing for the second consecutive month

Employment in transportation and warehousing fell by12,000(-1.1%) in June, following a decline of21,000(-1.9%) in May. Employment in this industry was little changed on a year-over-year basis.

In public administration, employment declined by8,800(-0.7%) in June, the first decline since August2023. On a year-over-year basis, employment in public administration was up by24,000(+2.0%).

Employment increased by17,000(+1.5%) in accommodation and food services in June, marking the third consecutive monthly increase, and bringing cumulative increases to54,000(+4.9%) since March.

In agriculture, employment rose by12,000(+5.5%) in June, the first increase since July2023. Despite this increase, employment in agriculture was down by18,000(-7.2%) on a year-over-year basis in June2024.

Employment declines in Quebec, while New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador post increases

Employment in Quebec declined by18,000(-0.4%) in June, following little change in May. In the12months to June, employment in Quebec was little changed, and the employment rate fell1.2percentage points to60.8%. In June, the unemployment rate in the province increased0.6percentage points to5.7%.

In New Brunswick, employment rose by3,000(+0.8%) in June, the second increase in three months. The participation rate increased0.3percentage points in the month to61.4%, leaving the unemployment rate little changed at7.7%. Compared with12months earlier, employment in the province was up4.2% (+16,000).

Employment also increased in Newfoundland and Labrador (+2,600; +1.1%) in June, lowering the unemployment rate to9.2% (-0.7percentage points). The employment increase in the month offset the decline in May and was the first monthly gain since January2024.

While Ontario posted little change in employment in June, the unemployment rate increased0.3percentage points to7.0%, as more Ontarians were searching for work. The unemployment rate in Ontario has increased1.9percentage points from its recent low of5.1% in April2023.

In the Spotlight: Teleworkers with a remote work location make up a growing share of employees usually working at home

The pandemic led to a notable shift towards working from home and hybrid work arrangements. Though the proportion of Canadians working from home has trended downwards following the lifting of most pandemic-related public health restrictions in2022, some of the labour market trends associated with telework remain.

Among employees who usually work most of their hours from home, some report to a work location in the same city or nearby, while others report to a more remote work location, which may be situated beyond a commutable distance.

In June2024, the proportion of employees who usually worked most of their hours from home was15.1%, down from21.5% in June2022. This decrease was driven by a decline in the proportion of employees who usually worked mostly from home and whose office or work site was in the same city or nearby, down6.4percentage points to11.4% from June2022to June2024.

Thus, teleworkers with a more remote work location made up a growing share of employees who usually worked mostly from home, with just under one-quarter (24.2%) doing so in June2024, up from17.2% in June2022.

Products

More information about the concepts and use of the Labour Force Survey is available online in the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (Catalogue number71-543-G).

The product "Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app" (Catalogue number14200001) is also available. This interactive visualization application provides seasonally adjusted estimates by province, sex, age group and industry.

The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province and census metropolitan area, seasonally adjusted" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available. This interactive dashboard provides customizable access to key labour market indicators.

The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province, territory and economic region, unadjusted for seasonality" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available. This dynamic web application provides access to labour market indicators for Canada, provinces, territories and economic regions.

The product Labour Force Survey: Public Use Microdata File (Catalogue number71M0001X) is also available. This public use microdata file contains non-aggregated data for a wide variety of variables collected from the Labour Force Survey. The data have been modified to ensure that no individual or business is directly or indirectly identified. This product is for users who prefer to do their own analysis by focusing on specific subgroups in the population or by cross-classifying variables that are not in our catalogued products.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).