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Employment

Good jobs creation and low unemployment rates are pivotal to GDP growth and construction activity.

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Cdn Employment Change Employment Change by Sector
Change in Total Employment — Canada vs U.S. Change in Construction Employment — Canada vs U.S. Change in Private Sector vs Public Sector Employment in Canada Change in Full-time vs Part-Time Employment in Canada Change in Manufacturing Employment — Canada vs U.S. Change in Service Sector Employment — Canada vs U.S.
Provincial Labour Markets Ranking by Major Cities
Unemployment Rates in U.S. 12 Most Populous Cities Best U.S. City Labor Markets Unemployment Rates in Canada's 6 Most Populous Cities Labour Markets in 35 Canadian Cities
U.S. Employment Change Unemployment Rate

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Unemployment Rates in U.S. 12 Most Populous Cities

Atlanta has the lowest unemployment rate among the 12 most populous cities in the U.S.

Latest data points = Jan 2021.

Data source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) / Graphic: ConstructConnect-CanaData.

Best U.S. City Labor Markets

Salt Lake City, UT, ranks best among U.S. cities for year-over-year jobs changes, and lowest unemployment rate.

Based on not seasonally adjusted (NSA) data. / Cities are metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).
When the ranking numbers are the same, the cities are in a tie.

Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Table: ConstructConnect – CanaData.

U.S. Employment - % Change Y/Y

The big drops in employment last year are now contributing to larger than normal percentage gains this year. The base or denominator in the y/y % change calculation will remain restrained for a while.

The latest data points are for June, 2021.
Based on seasonally adjusted (SA) data.

Data source: Payroll Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. Department of Labor).
Chart: ConstructConnect – CanaData.

Ranking of Canadian Provincial Labour Markets

In June 2021, British Columbia was the only province to record an unemployment rate (6.6%) lower than the total Canada figure (7.8%) and a year-over-year jobs increase (+11.0%) greater than the country-wide performance (+8.1%).

The latest data is for June, 2021.

Data source: Statistics Canada / Chart: ConstructConnect-CanaData.

Change in Total Employment — Canada vs U.S.

The total jobs count in the U.S. in March 2021 was +916,000 (SA) m/m; Canada's comparable figure was +303,000 m/m.

The latest data points are for March 2021.
*“Year-over-year” is each month versus the same month of the previous year.

Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor).
Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Unemployment Rates in Canada's 6 Most Populous Cities

Line charts of unemployment rates in Canada's 6 largest (by population) cities., as of May 2021.

Data source: Statistics Canada (SA = Seasonally Adjusted) / Charts: ConstructConnect-CanaData.

U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Weekly

Moving in Wrong Direction: Week ending July 17, 2021 = 419,000 (+51,000 vs previous week's 368,000)

Data source: Department of Labor & Census Bureau / Chart: ConstructConnect-CanaData.

Change in Construction Employment — Canada vs U.S.

The jobs count in the U.S. construction sector in February 2021 was -61,000 m/m & seasonally adjusted (SA); Canada's comparable figure was +6,000.

The latest data points are for February 2021.
*“Year-over-year” is each month versus the same month of the previous year.

Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor).
Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Change in Private Sector vs Public Sector Employment in Canada

The private sector jobs count in Canada in February 2021 was +214,000 m/m. The employment change in the public sector in the latest month was +45,000 m/m.

The latest data points are for February, 2021.
*“Year-over-year” is each month versus the same month of the previous year.

Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada.
Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Change in Full-time vs Part-Time Employment in Canada

The full-time jobs count in Canada in February 2021 was +89,000 m/m; the part-time number-of-jobs change was +171,000 m/m.

The latest data points are for February, 2021.
*“Year-over-year” is each month versus the same month of the previous year.

Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada.
Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Change in Manufacturing Employment — Canada vs U.S.

The m/m jobs count in the U.S. manufacturing sector in February 2021 was +21,000 seasonally adjusted (SA); Canada's comparable figure was +8,000.

The last data points are for February, 2021.
“Year-over-year” is the monthly figure versus the same month of the previous year.

Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Canada ‘R-3’ Unemployment Rate vs U.S. Unemployment Rate Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA) Data (Statistics Canada calculates ‘R-3’ on same basis as U.S. rate)

On a same-methodology basis, U.S. & Canadian NSA unemployment rates have been moving nearly in tandem.

The latest data points are for April 2021.

Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor).
Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Labour Markets in 35 Canadian Cities

Tables of y/y jobs change (Peterborough best at +31.7%) and lowest unemployment rate (Trois-Rivières best at 4.2%).

Based on averages of latest three months, seasonally adjusted (SA) data. Cities are census metro areas (CMAs). When the ranking numbers are the same, the cities are in a tie.

Data source: Statistics Canada/Tables: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Canadian Provincial Labour Markets

Ontario is currently accounting for the largest portion (41.0%) of the national year-over-year jobs increase. In second spot is Quebec (19.9%), but it's only barely ahead of B.C. (18.7%). Alberta is in fourth (12.2%). By way of comparison, the shares of Canada's total population are: Ontario, 38.8%; Quebec, 22.5%; B.C. 13.5%; Alberta, 11.7%. ... Therefore, B.C. is most clearly 'punching above its weight' in jobs creation.

Data source (seasonally adjusted figures): Statistics Canada/Tables: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Change in Service Sector Employment — Canada vs U.S.

The U.S. 'private services providing' jobs count in February 2021 was +513,000 m/m. Services jobs in Canada in the latest month were +256,000 m/m.

The latest data points are for February, 2021.
*“Year-over-year” is each month versus the same month of the previous year.
Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor).

Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

Canada vs U.S. Monthly Unemployment Rate (Per Cent) Seasonally Adjusted Data

In April 2021, and as per usual, the U.S. recorded a lower 'headline' (SA) rate of unemployment than Canada.

The latest data points are for April, 2021.

Data sources (seasonally adjusted): Statistics Canada and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor).
Chart: ConstructConnect — CanaData.

U.S. Month-to-month Total Jobs Creation

Latest data point is for June 2021.

Source: Payroll Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) / Chart: ConstructConnect – CanaData.

Canada: Month-to-month Total Employment Change

Cdn total employment in June 2021 was +1.2% m/m and +8.1% y/y. The y/y change was boosted by a low 'base' effect. June 2020's COVID-impacted figure (i.e., the denominator in the % change calculation) was deeply depressed.

Latest data point is for June, 2021.

Source: Household Survey, Statistics Canada / Chart: ConstructConnect – CanaData.