Highlights – Fourth quarter
Charts
Analysis
These new estimates from Statistics Canada’s Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS) reflect the labour market situation during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023. The data confirms the downward trend in the number of vacant positions in the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions observed in 2023. These results are consistent with the expectations based on the economic situation in the region.
Despite a decline in the number of vacancies, total labour demand continued to increase in Chaudière-Appalaches (+1.6%) and remained stable in Capitale-Nationale (-0.1%). The decline in the number of vacancies is due to an increase in the number of payroll employees. The latest data shows increases of 2.3% in Capitale-Nationale and 3.4% in Chaudière-Appalaches, or 8,060 and 6,600 payroll employees, respectively. Despite the rebalancing of supply and demand in job vacancies in 2023, the region’s labour market registered positive results in terms of employment growth.
Looking at the average hourly wages, these also grew compared to Q4 2022, increasing by 7.3% in Capitale-Nationale and 2% in Chaudière-Appalaches. However, compared to the third quarter, there was a decrease in the average hourly wage in Chaudière-Appalaches.
Finally, the most in-demand sectors in both regions remained stable, although we can see that the sales and service sector experienced a significant drop in job vacancies over one year (-30.5% in Capitale-Nationale and -22% in Chaudière-Appalaches), which had a strong impact on reducing the number of vacancies.
Capitale-Nationale | Chaudière-Appalaches |
Sales and service occupations (4,975) | Sales and service occupations (2,655) |
Health occupations (2,440) | Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (1,375) |
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (1,995) | Occupations in manufacturing and utilities (595) |
The most recent data from the JVWS shows a slowdown in the region’s labour market, although labour demand remains historically strong. The increase in the number of payroll employees shows that the greater region’s (Capitale-Nationale + Chaudière-Appalaches) labour market remained dynamic in the last quarter of 2023.
Alexis Mc Clish
Économiste
Québec International
Note to readers
1 The job vacancy rate is the number of job vacancies expressed as a percentage of labour demand, i.e. all occupied and vacant jobs.
2 The data regarding the number of vacancies, the job vacancy rate and total labour demand are seasonally adjusted, while the data on hourly wages and occupations are non-seasonally adjusted.
3 The survey’s target population includes all commercial locations in Canada, except those whose primary activity concerns the sectors of religious organizations and private households. Federal, provincial and territorial administrations are also excluded from the survey.
4 To learn more about the National Occupational Classification (NOC) minor groups presented above, please visit the Government of Canada’s website.
5. Note that data by trade is provided for information purposes only and must be considered with caution due to the sample size.
