Canada - Labor Force

For Canada, the labor force survey provides labor force, unemployment, unemployment rate, employment by industry, for provinces and metro areas. From 1976.

Active:

• Industry classification: NAICS 2017
• Measurements:
  • Thousands of persons (Ths. #)
  • Percent (%)
• Cumulation: Three-month moving average
• Adjustments:
  • Seasonally adjusted (SA)
  • Not seasonally adjusted (NSA)
• Native frequencies:
  • Monthly
  • Annual
• Start date: As early as 1976m1
• Geo coverage:
  • Country
  • Provinces and territories (ICAN_^^)
  • Select CAs (ICAN_^^^)
  • CMAs (ICAN_M^^^)

Predecessors:

• NAICS 2012 - 1976 to 20120
• NAICS 2007 with Census 2006 boundaries - 1996 to 2014
• NAICS 2002 with Census 2001 boundaries - 1987 to 1995

The source writes:

The Cansim Labour Force Survey aims to divide the working-age population into three groups; employed, unemployed, and not in the labour force, as well as to provide descriptive and explanatory data on each. 

The LFS data is then used to produce the unemployment, employment and participation rates. The LFS provides data by industry, occupation, sector, hours worked and more. Geographic coverage includes Canada, the provinces, the territories and some sub-provincial regions. 

Target population - civilian, non-institutionalised population 15 years of age and over. The LFS is conducted nationwide, and in all provinces and territories. Excluded persons include Aboriginal population, Armed Forces, institutionalized, and households in extremely remote areas with very low population density. These groups together represent an exclusion of less than 2% of the Canadian population aged 15 and over.

Sample - The sample uses a cross-sectional design. To pick the sample, the source divides each province into smaller geographic sections, then selects dwellings from each section. Dwellings remain in the sample for six consecutive months. Information on all members of the household is usually collected from a single knowledgeable person. The sample size currently includes about 56,000 households. 

Interview Process - Response to the survey is manditory. Interviews are conducted by phone or online if the household meets certain criteria. 

Confidentiality - Data is subject to "ND" data points as the source supresses estimates that fall below a minimum number, based on a rubric classified by geography. 

Definitions

• Prior to 1996 - Census 2001 population counts
• 1996m1 to 2010m12 - Census 2006 population counts
• Prior to 1987 - NAICS 2002
• 1987m1 to 2010m12 - NAICS 2007

At the start of each year, the Labour Force Survey revises its estimates for the previous three years, using the latest seasonal factors.

Adjustments are also made to LFS data every five years after new population estimates become available following the most recent census. At that time, all LFS data back to the previous census is re-weighted using the new population estimates (since the new population estimates will cover the inter-censal period between the two most recent censuses), and all corresponding historical LFS estimates are revised. Generally, the introduction of the latest classification systems for industry, occupation and geography, along with other changes, occur at this time.

As of January 2015, LFS estimates have been adjusted to reflect population counts from the 2011 Census, adjusted for net undercoverage, with revisions going back to 2001.

Modifications

Previously: NAICS 1997, SOC 1991, SGC 1996

Results for 2005m1: NAICS 2002, NOC-S, SGC 2001

Results for 2010m12, released 28 Jan 2011: Updated for most recent postcensal population estimates, current industry and occupation classifications (NAICS 2012), geographic boundaries (SGC 2006), seasonal adjustment (X-12-ARIMA).

Results for 2021m1, released 5 February 2021: Census of Population 2016, NAICS 2017, SGC 2016

Further reading

At the source:

• Labor Force Survey (LFS): Summary of changes
• The 2021 revisions of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) (25 Jan 2021)

End user licensing agreement

Distributed under license from Statistics Canada: usage subject to an End User License.