Canada - Unemployment

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

Active:

• Benchmark year: Census 2021
• Industry classification: NAICS 2022
• 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 vintage: SGC 2021
• Geo coverage:
  • Country
  • Province (10x ICAN_^^)
  • CMA (41x ICAN_M^^^)
  • Part of CMA (2x ICAN_O^^)

Predecessors:

• NAICS 2017, SGC 2016 areas - 2006 to 2024 ("_24")
• NAICS 2012 - 1976 to 2012 ("_20")
• NAICS 2007, SGC 2006 areas - 1996 to 2014 ("_14")
• NAICS 2002, SGC 2001 areas - 1987 to 1995 ("02")

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. As of January 2025, the benchmark is the 2021 Census and geo boundaries use SGC 2021.

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

Results for 2025m1, released 7 February 2025: Census of Population 2021, NAICS 2022, SGC 2021

Further reading

At the source:

• Labor Force Survey (LFS): Summary of changes
• The 2021 revisions of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) (25 Jan 2021)
• The 2025 Revisions of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (24 Jan 2025)
• Detailed information for January 2025 - Benchmarked to Census 2021 and SGC 2021 (7 Feb 2025)

Data tables at the source (active):

• 14-10-0459-01: Labour force characteristics by census metropolitan area, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted
• 14-10-0467-01: Employment characteristics by census metropolitan area, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality
• 14-10-0468-01: Employment characteristics by census metropolitan area, annual
• 14-10-0461-01: Labour force characteristics by census metropolitan area, annual

Data tables at the source (archived):

• 14-10-0380-01: Labour force characteristics, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted, inactive
• 14-10-0379-01: Employment by industry, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, inactive
• 14-10-0384-01: Employment by industry, census metropolitan areas, annual, inactive
• 14-10-0385-01: Labour force characteristics, annual, inactive

End user licensing agreement

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

• Sep 2005 - Initial version.
• Feb 2011 - Reclassified.
• Jun 2011 - Addendum of LFS measures for metro areas.
• Jun 2015 - Geos advanced to SGC 2011.
• Aug 2021 - Reclassified to NAICS 2017.
• 19 May 2025, Phillip Thorne - For LFS, benchmark advanced to Census 2021, geos advanced to SGC 2021, table advanced from 14-10-0380-01 to 14-10-0459-01: Properties, Modifications, Further reading.
• 17 Jun 2025, Phillip Thorne - For employment by industry, same changes. Table advanced from 14-10-0379-01 to 14-10-0467-01.
• 28 Oct 2025, Phillip Thorne - Annual tables.