May 2021 Labour Market Update

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

May Unemployment Rate: Brantford 6.1% [-] Ontario 9.3% [+] Canada 8.2% [+]

Be sure to review the participation rate and the employment rate (reported as percentages), as well as the labour force, the employed, and the unemployed values (reported as absolute numbers). These give a better picture of changes in the market.

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.

Revisions to Labour Force Survey data

Following each census cycle, Labour Force Survey (LFS) data are revised to ensure alignment with the most recently available population estimates, geographic boundaries, and occupation and industry classifications. This standard revision process—which has little impact on key labour market indicators such as employment and the unemployment rate—ensures that the LFS continues to paint a complete and accurate picture of labour market conditions. Read more on the Statistics Canada website.

Overview from Statistics Canada

• Visit the Statistics Canada page for full information.

May Labour Force Survey (LFS) data reflect labour market conditions during the week of May 9 to 15.

Following the April reference week, tighter public health restrictions continued or were introduced in several provinces. In Ontario, a stay-at-home order implemented on April 8 continued, affecting many non-essential businesses. Remote schooling, which began following the April spring break, also continued across the province.

Employment falls for a second month under third-wave restrictions

Employment fell by 68,000 (-0.4%) in May. Almost all of the decline was in part-time work (-54,000; -1.6%).

The number of self-employed workers was virtually unchanged in May, but remained 5.0% (-144,000) below its pre-pandemic level.

Among people working part time in May, almost one-quarter (22.7%) wanted a full-time job, up from 18.5% in February 2020 (not seasonally adjusted).

The number of Canadians working from home held steady at 5.1 million.

After falling in April, total hours worked were little changed in May.

Ontario and Nova Scotia accounted for most of the overall employment decline in May.

Employment increased in Saskatchewan, while there was little change in all other provinces.

Unemployment little changed

The unemployment rate was little changed at 8.2% in May, as the number of people who searched for a job or who were on temporary layoff held steady.

The unemployment rate among visible minority Canadians aged 15 to 69 rose 1.5 percentage points to 11.4% in May (not seasonally adjusted).

Long-term unemployment—the number of people unemployed for 27 weeks or more—held relatively steady at 478,000 in May.

Students start off the summer ahead of 2020 but behind 2019

In May 2021, the unemployment rate among returning students was 23.1%, compared with 40.0% in May 2020 and 13.7% in May 2019.

Driven in part by labour market conditions faced by students, total employment among youth aged 15 to 24 fell by 27,000 (-1.2%).

Employment held steady among both women and men aged 25 to 54.

The participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 dropped for the second consecutive month, falling 0.5 percentage points to 83.1%.

Among people aged 55 and older, employment was little changed for men, while it fell 18,000 (-1.0%) among women.

Employment declines hit goods-producing sector

In May, total employment in the goods-producing sector decreased for the first time since April 2020.

The number of people working in manufacturing fell by 36,000 (-2.0%), the first decline in the industry since April 2020.

Employment also fell in retail trade (-29,000) and "other services" (-24,000), two industries that continue to be affected by ongoing public health restrictions.

There were employment gains in transportation and warehousing (+22,000) and natural resources (+8,600).

Natural resources is the industry furthest along in its post-COVID recovery, with employment surpassing February 2020 levels by 29,000 (+9.3%).

Local Top Line

• May Unemployment Rate: Brantford 6.1% [-] Ontario 9.3% [+] Canada 8.2% [+]
• The local unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 month over month.
• The local labour force contracted by 1,100 month over month.
• The number of employed decreased by 800 month over month.
• The number of unemployed decreased by 300 month over month.
• When compared to the surrounding CMAs of Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Guelph, and London, Brantford’s unemployment rate is 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