June LFS shows construction losses, but overall increases
Labour Force Survey data for June released by Statistics Canada earlier this month show a third straight month of job losses in the construction industry, or a drop of 1.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The drop of 23,400 workers brings the industry back to its lowest level since January of this year, and left employment 78,000 below pre-COVID levels.
Statistics Canada conducted its latest labour force survey during the week of June 13 to 19. At that time, and compared with the May reference week, public health restrictions had been significantly eased in several jurisdictions.
Ontario lifted its stay-at-home order was lifted on June 2, and outdoor dining and some in-person non-essential shopping resumed on June 11.
As a result, employment rose by 231,000 (+1.2 percent) in June, following a cumulative decline of 275,000 over the previous two months. The unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 7.8 percent.
Employment growth in June was entirely in part-time work and concentrated among youth aged 15 to 24, primarily young women. Increases were greatest in accommodation and food services and retail trade, consistent with the lifting or easing of public health restrictions affecting these industries in late May and early June in many jurisdictions.
Total employment in good-producing industries declined by 48,000 (-1.2 percent) in June, bringing quarterly losses to 106,000.
Employment increased in several provinces: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. In contrast, employment declined in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island. There was little change in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Alberta.
Compared with the February 2020 pre-pandemic level, the employment gap was largest in Prince Edward Island (-4.9 percent), followed by Saskatchewan (-2.8 percent), Manitoba (-2.5 percent) and Ontario (-2.5 percent). In contrast, British Columbia was the lone province with employment above its pre-pandemic level.
Following two months of losses, employment in Ontario rose by 117,000 (+1.6 percent) in June, as public-health measures began to ease. Employment gains were mostly among youth and in part-time work. The largest increase was in retail trade, while gains also occurred in professional, scientific and technical services as well as accommodation and food services. The unemployment rate fell 0.9 percentage points to 8.4 percent.
In Toronto, employment rose by 90,000 (+2.8 percent), the first increase since March 2021.