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The latest Statistics Canada local labour market report customized for the Brantford CMA for last month is now available.
- October Unemployment Rate: Brantford 6.5% [-] Ontario 6.8% [-] Canada 6.5% [=]
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.
The report includes annual rates for the last 10 years, comparing Brantford to surrounding CMAs as well as the provincial and national levels.
Overview from Statistics Canada
- Visit the Statistics Canada page for full information.
Employment was little changed in October (+15,000; +0.1%) and the employment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 60.6%. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.5%.
Employment rose by 25,000 (+1.8%) in October among male youth aged 15 to 24, while it fell among women aged 55 and older (-15,000; -0.8%). There was little change in employment for men and women across the other major age groups.
There were more people employed in business, building and other support services (+29,000; +4.2%) in the month, and fewer people employed in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (-13,000; -0.9%) as well as public administration (-8,700; -0.7%).
By province, employment increased in Alberta (+13,000; +0.5%) and New Brunswick (+3,300; +0.8%) in October, while it declined in Prince Edward Island (-1,100; -1.2%).
Total hours worked rose 0.3% in the month and were up 1.6% compared with 12 months earlier.
Average hourly wages among employees increased 4.9% (up $1.68 to $35.76) on a year-over-year basis in October, following growth of 4.6% in September (not seasonally adjusted).
Employment holds steady in October
Employment was little changed in October (+15,000; +0.1%), following an increase in September (+47,000; +0.2%). On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by 303,000 (+1.5%).
The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 60.6% in October, the sixth consecutive monthly decline. It fell 1.3 percentage points on a year-over-year basis and has been on a downward trend from a recent peak of 62.4% in February 2023.
The number of employees in the private sector was little changed in October, following two months of growth totalling 99,000 (+0.7%) in August and September. Public sector employment and self-employment were both virtually unchanged in October.Employment rises among youth
Employment increased by 33,000 (+1.2%) for youth aged 15 to 24 in October, driven by gains among male youth (+25,000; +1.8%). The youth employment rate rose 0.4 percentage points to 54.4% in October, the first increase for this group since April.
Despite the employment increase in October, the youth employment rate declined 2.7 percentage points from October 2023 to October 2024. Over this period, the employment rate fell more for male youth (-3.4 percentage points to 53.4%) than for female youth (-1.9 percentage points to 55.5%).
Employment was little changed among core-aged (25 to 54 years old) men and women in October. However, as the population grew, employment rates continued to trend down, falling by 0.3 percentage points to 86.2% for men and by 0.3 percentage points to 80.2% for women in this age group.
The employment rate for core-aged people has trended down since the spring of 2023 and was down by a similar amount for women (-1.5 percentage points) and men (-1.3 percentage points) on a year-over-year basis in October 2024.
For people aged 55 to 64, the employment rate held steady in October and compared with 12 months earlier for both women (59.3%) and men (69.4%).
Unemployment rate holds steady at 6.5%
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.5% in October, following a decline of 0.1 percentage points in September. On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was up 0.8 percentage points in October, as 193,000 (+15.6%) more people searched for work or were on temporary layoff.
The youth unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage points to 12.8% in October, following a decline of 1.0 percentage points in September. Prior to these declines, the youth unemployment rate had been on a strong upward trend from January, rising to a recent peak of 14.5% in August. On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was up 2.4 percentage points to 14.3% for young men in October and was little changed at 11.1% for young women.
The unemployment rate of core-aged women rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.5% in October, after it increased 0.3 percentage points the previous month. The unemployment rate of core-aged women has trended up in the 12 months to October, rising 1.0 percentage points over this period. For core-aged men, the unemployment rate was virtually unchanged in the month at 5.7%, but was up 0.6 percentage points on a year-over-year basis.
There was little change in the unemployment rate for people aged 55 and older (4.9%) in October and compared with 12 months earlier.
Local Top Line
- October Unemployment Rate: Brantford 6.5% [-] Ontario 6.8% [-] Canada 6.5% [=]
- The local unemployment rate decreased by 0.5 month over month.
- The local labour force contracted by 300 month over month.
- The number of employed increased by 100 month over month.
- The number of unemployed decreased by 400 month over month.
- When compared to the surrounding CMAs of Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Guelph, and London, Brantford’s unemployment rate is in the middle.
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