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May 07, 2021LABOUR MARKET TRENDS - APRIL 2021 Labour force survey results reflect the period from April 11 to 17. Several provinces tightened public health measures in late March and early April. Nova Scotia introduced new restrictions across the province on April 27, just after the LFS reference week. The impacts of these new restrictions will not be reflected in the April data.
In Ontario, province wide stay-at-home order measures were implemented on April 8 and schools were closed for spring break during the week of April 12. Public health measures were tightened in many parts of Quebec including the extension of curfews and closing of various business activities. British Columbia also entered a circuit-breaker restrictions on March 30.
Nova Scotia’s seasonally adjusted employment level was down 900 (-0.2%) to 465,900 in April 2021.
Nova Scotia’s employment is 0.2% below the pre-COVID level of February 2020 with 1,100 fewer jobs. Nova Scotia has recovered 98.5% (73,900) of the peak employment loss reported in April (75,000). In comparison, Canada has recovered 83.2% (2.486 million) of April 2020 peak employment losses (-2.989 million).
Nova Scotia’s labour force declined 3,500 (-0.7%) to 507,200 in April. The labour force in April was lower by 400 (-0.1%) than the February 2020 level with population growth of 6,200 (+0.8%) over the same period. The number of unemployed persons declined 2,700 compared to last month and is 600 higher compared to February 2020.
With a faster decline in labour force than employment, the unemployment rate declined 0.5 percentage points from last month to 8.1% in April 2021.
In March, full-time employment declined 2,400 (-0.6%). Compared to February 2020, full-time employment has increased by 3,600 (+1.0%) while part time employment declined by 4,600 (-5.1%). Changes in the number of hours worked within one job can result in shift employment between part-time and full-time.
The participation rate was down 0.5 percentage points to 62.0% in April 2021. This is also 0.5 percentage points below the February 2020 level.
In addition to the employment decline from February 2020, there were elevated numbers of persons who are counted as employed, but have zero hours (for non-routine reasons like vacation, maternity/parental leave, labour dispute) or had their hours cut by 50% or more.
In April 2021 in Nova Scotia there were 24,900 persons employed but at less than 50% of their usual hours (including zero hours), up from 27,700 in March 2021 and still elevated by 5,100 compared to 19,800 in February 2020. Combined with those who have lost employment, this amounts to about 1.3% of Nova Scotia’s February 2020 employment level; down from a high of 28.1% in April 2020. The largest total employment/hour impact in April 2021 was Ontario (8.4%) and the smallest impacts were in New Brunswick (0.8%) followed by Nova Scotia (1.3%).
Statistics Canada reported in supplemental information that Nova Scotia had a decrease of 1,200 (Apr-21 to Mar-21) of people who were not in the labour force but wanted to work, currently at 14,800 people. This is down from the 55,600 people in April 2020.
The labour underutilization rate (COVID-19 impact definition) is the proportion of the potential labour force (labour force + those wanting work) that is either unemployed, not in labour force but wanted work or employed but have lost the majority of their usual hours.
Labour underutilization has declined from highs during March and April 2020 but remains higher compared to February 2020 in all provinces. In February 2020, Nova Scotia's labour underutilization rate was 14.1%. This underutilization increased to 37.1% in April 2020 and subsequently fell 15.6% in November 2020. Labour underutilization rose in December to 17.3% and then fell again to 15.5% by April 2021. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the highest labour underutilization in April 2021 while Manitoba (13.3%) reported the lowest.
Age Cohorts
When compared to February 2020, the remaining shortfall in employment was mostly attributable to declines in the youth cohort (ages 15-24). Employment among youth was down 3,600 from February 2020 to April 2021 while the labour force declined by 5,000. For core-aged workers (ages 25-54), employment was up slightly over February 2020 (+400) while labour force was down by 400. For older workers, employment increased 2,100 from February 2020 while the labour force was up 5,000 (older workers’ population was also rising).
The unemployment rate declined across all age groups in Nova Scotia in April 2021. Compared to the previous month, the unemployment rate declined 1.3 percentage points to 12.5% for youth workers (ages 15-24), 0.1 percentage points to 6.7% for core-aged workers (ages 25-54), and 0.9 percentage points to 8.9% for older workers (ages 55 and over) in April 2021.
The participation rate declined for youth and older workers in April 2021. The participation rate for younger Nova Scotians declined 1.3 percentage points to 69.2% and was down 0.7 percentage points to 34.2% for older workers. For core-aged workers, the participation rate was unchanged at 87.9%.
Compared to March 2021, employment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 82.0% for core-aged workers. The employment rate declined 0.2 percentage points to 60.5% for youth workers and declined 0.3 percentage points to 31.1% for older workers in April 2021.
Compared with February 2020, employment rates were down for youth (-2.6 percentage points) and for older workers (-0.1 percentage points). Employment rate for core-aged workers was up 0.1 percentage points from February 2020.
Males and Females
Compared to the pre-pandemic employment level seen in February 2020, female employment was down 800 (-0.3%) and male employment was down 300 (-0.1%) in April 2021. Compared to February 2020, the male labour force was up 1,100 (+0.4%) and the female labour force was down by 1,500 (-0.6%). The number of unemployed males has increased by 1,400 and the number of unemployed females was down 800. The male population not in the labour force was up 1,900 from February 2020 while the number of females not in the labour force grew by 4,800.
In April 2021, the monthly unemployment rate declined 0.6 percentage points to 6.7% for female workers and declined 0.4 percentage points to 9.4% for male workers.
The participation rate declined for both males and females. Male participation rate declined 0.2 percentage points to 65.4% and the female participation rate declined 0.8 percentage points to 58.9% in April 2021.
The monthly employment rate was down 0.6 percentage points to 54.9% for females and was down 0.5 percentage points to 59.2% for males.
Sectors and Industries
The monthly employment decline from March to April was mostly in private sector employees (-6,400) and self-employed (-1,900). Public sector employees increased 7,400 month-over-month in April.
For February, goods-producing sector employment was down 1,600 jobs. The gains in forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying and gas (+1,200) were not able to offset the declines seen in construction (-1,900).
Service-producing sector employment decreased 700 in April. Employment declined in six of eleven service subsectors with the largest decreases in accommodation and food services, and other services, both registering a decline of 800. Business, building and other support services added 1,700 jobs while educational services added 1,500 jobs in April 2021.
Compared to February 2020, employment remains lower in the private sector (-16,700) and self-employed (-1,800) while public sector employees (+17,400) are at higher levels.
Employment since February 2020 was 4,600 higher in goods-production industries with higher levels in construction (+2,300) agriculture (+1,700), forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas (+1,100) and utilities (+900) offsetting declines in manufacturing (-1,400).
Service-producing employment was lower by 5,700 since February 2020 with the lower levels in wholesale and retail trade (-8,600), accommodation and food service (-9,600), information, culture and recreation (-3,200) and business, building and other support service (-1,400, including call centres) being at significantly lower levels.
Employment levels were higher in April 2021 than February 2020 in some service subsectors with the largest increases in professional, scientific, and technical services (+5,600), educational services (+5,100), transportation and warehousing (+2,600), and finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (+1,600).
Regions – April 2021 vs April 2020 (unadjusted 3 month moving average)
April 2020 was the peak of employment losses during the initial stages of the pandemic.
Compared with April 2020, Cape Breton employment declined by 3,100 (-6.6%) while the labour force was down 5,000. The number of unemployed people declined 2,000 and the unemployment rate fell to 14.4% in April 2021. There are an additional 4,300 persons not in the labour force in Cape Breton compared to one year ago.
For the North Shore region, the labour force increased by 4,400 and employment was up 5,100. The number of unemployed was down by 600. The unemployment rate declined 1.4 percentage points to 9.0% in April. The number of persons not in the labour force declined by 4,900 compared to April 2020.
The Annapolis Valley reported an increase in both labour force (+5,700) and employment (+6,000) when compared to April 2020. The unemployment rate declined 1.4 percentage points to 9.5%. The number of persons not in the labour force declined 5,200 from a year earlier.
In the Southern region, labour force grew by 1,900 while employment was up 3,500 from the previous year. The number of unemployed was down 1,600 and the unemployment rate declined from 11.1% in April 2020 to 7.7% in April 2021. The number of persons not in the labour force declined 2,400 from a year earlier.
In the Halifax region, the labour force posted an increase of 20,600 (+8.6%) while employment has increased 21,100 (+9.7%) compared to April 2020. The number of unemployed was down 600 and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3%. The number of persons not in the labour force decreased by 13,700 in Halifax from a year ago.
Provincial Comparisons
Employment declined month-over-month in seven provinces in April with Ontario reporting the largest decline (-2.1%). Saskatchewan (+1.7%) reported the largest gain followed by New Brunswick (+1.1%).
Nationally, employment was down 1.1% from last month in April.
Compared to February 2020, the labour force is now lower in six provinces including Nova Scotia. British Columbia (+1.2%) has seen the largest growth in labour force from pre-pandemic levels. The largest declines in the labour force since February 2020 are in Prince Edward Island (-3.5%) and Saskatchewan (-2.0%).
Employment is lower compared to pre-pandemic levels in all provinces. The largest employment declines since February 2020 are in Ontario (-3.7%) and Prince Edward Island (-3.5%).
The highest unemployment rate for April 2021 was in Newfoundland and Labrador at 13.9% and the lowest was in Quebec and Saskatchwean, both at 6.6%. Canada’s unemployment rate was 8.1% in April. Unemployment rates were higher in all provinces compared to February 2020.
National Comparisons: Cities (Monthly, 3 month moving average)
The unemployment rate for Halifax Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in April 2021 was 8.1% (seasonally adjusted 3 month moving average). Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivieres at 4.9% had the lowest unemployment rate among CMAs while the highest was in Belleville (+12.0%).
The seasonally adjusted employment rate for Halifax was 64.0%, down compared to last month. Abbotsford-Mission (65.4%) had the highest employment rate while St. Catharines-Niagara (51.7%) had the lowest among CMAs.
Halifax’s employment (3 month moving average) for April 2021 was down 0.3% compared to the March 2021 result. The employment level (Feb-Apr) average compared to previous average (Jan-Mar) was up by the largest in Peterborough (+4.7%) and decreased the most in Belleville (-3.8%).
Note: Seasonally adjusted, 3 month average.
Sources:
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0294-01 Labour force characteristics by census metropolitan area, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, last 5 months
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0293-01 Labour force characteristics by economic region, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, last 5 months
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0355-01 Employment by industry, monthly, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, and trend-cycle, last 5 months (x 1,000)
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0288-01 Employment by class of worker, monthly, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, last 5 months (x 1,000)
Statistics Cabada. Table: 14-10-0380-02 Labour force characteristics, three month moving average, seasonally adjusted (x 1,000)
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