Canada's employment returns to pre-pandemic levels

With a continuing increase in job possibilities, employment rates are recovering to February levels

Last month, the Canadian economy added 157,000 jobs, bringing the employment rate to within a percentage point of pre-pandemic levels. The Labour Force Survey of Canada covered the Canadian labour market from September 12 to September 18. Earlier that week, many provinces imposed proof-of-vaccination requirements for entry into non-essential facilities like gyms and restaurants.

The employment rate is the number of individuals employed as a percentage of the population aged 15 and above. In September, Canada's employment rate was 60.9 percent, 0.9% lower than the February 2020 figure due to population growth. In September, the jobless rate fell for the fourth month in a row, to 6.9 percent, the lowest level since the epidemic began.

The employment rate among very recent immigrants has risen steadily, reaching 71% last month. Although the total population of arrivals has not increased throughout the epidemic, relatively recent immigrants working in some industries have increased. Professional, scientific, technological services, finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing sector are some of the best examples of it. Throughout the epidemic, employment in these businesses has increased steadily.

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For more than five years, Immigrants in Canada had an employment rate of around 59 percent, a percentage point decline from September 2019. People born in Canada had an employment rate of about 61%, a two-percentage-point reduction during the same period.

For the first time, the services sector surpassed its pre-COVID employment level. Public administration, information, culture, and recreation, professional, scientific, and technical services led the way in growth.

In contrast, certain businesses, such as lodging and food services, have yet to return to the levels of employment seen in February 2020. This is due in part to the business being strongly influenced by public health initiatives. Employment in food services decreased for the first time in five months in September. Retail employment has also reduced. Overall, there was no movement in the goods-producing sector, which has been the case since it shed 94,000 jobs between April and June. Instead, manufacturing and natural resources were the outliers, both of which experienced job growth in September.