July 2019 Labour Market Update

The latest Statistics Canada local labour market report customized for the Brantford CMA for last month is now available.

July Unemployment Rate: Brantford 4.5% [-] Ontario 5.7% [+] Canada 5.7% [+]

Labour Market Reports

The report includes annual rates for the last 10 years, comparing Brantford to surrounding CMAs as well as the provincial and national levels.

Statistics Canada Summary

For Canada and Ontario, Statistics Canada reports that, "Employment was little changed for the third consecutive month in July. The unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 5.7% as more people searched for work.

Compared with July 2018, employment was up by 353,000 (+1.9%), driven by gains in full-time work (+326,000 or +2.2%). Over the same period, hours worked increased by 0.7%....

In Ontario, employment was little changed for the second consecutive month in July, as gains in full-time work were offset by losses in part-time work. The unemployment rate increased 0.3 percentage points to 5.7% as more people searched for work. Employment in Ontario was up 118,000 (+1.6%) from 12 months earlier....

Employment in wholesale and retail trade declined for the second consecutive month, down by 21,000 in July. On a year-over-year basis, employment in this industry grew by 48,000 (+1.7%).

Following two months of increases, employment in transportation and warehousing fell by 15,000 in July. Most of the decline was in Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba. Compared with July 2018, national employment in this industry rose by 54,000 (+5.5%).

The number of private-sector employees fell by 69,000 in July, with a notable decline in wholesale and retail trade. At the same time, the number of public-sector employees was little changed, while the number of self-employed workers increased by 28,000.

Compared with 12 months earlier, the number of private-sector employees grew by 290,000 (+2.4%). Over the same period, self-employment increased by 67,000 (+2.3%) and public-sector employment was virtually unchanged.....

Among youth aged 15 to 24, employment fell by 19,000 in July, and their unemployment rate rose 0.7 percentage points to 11.4%. Year over year, youth employment grew by 34,000 (+1.4%)....

For women in the core working ages of 25 to 54, employment declined by 18,000, pushing their unemployment rate up by 0.2 percentage points to 4.5%....

From May to August, the Labour Force Survey collects labour market data on youth aged 15 to 24 who were attending school full time in March and who intend to return to school full time in the fall. Published data are not seasonally adjusted; therefore, comparisons can only be made on a year-over-year basis....

Adjusted to US concepts, the unemployment rate in Canada was 4.6% in July, compared with 3.7% in the United States. Compared with 12 months earlier, the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage points in both Canada and the United States."

Top Line

• July Unemployment Rate: Brantford 4.5% [-] Ontario 5.7% [+] Canada 5.7% [+]
• The local unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 month over month.
• The local labour force expanded by 400 month over month.
• The number of employed increased by 600 month over month.
• The number of unemployed decreased by 200 month over month.
• When compared to the surrounding CMAs of Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Guelph, and London, Brantford’s unemployment rate is the lowest.

Note: Brantford's unemployment reflects a 3 month moving average, whereas Ontario and Canada are monthly figures. The sample CMA breakdown for Brantford area is detailed in text at the Stats Canada website: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3VD.pl?Function=getVD&TVD=117159&CVD=117161&CPV=543&CST=01012011&CLV=2&MLV=3