Highlights
- In May 2021, the number of people employed in the Québec City census metropolitan area (CMA) decreased by 2,700 (-0.6%) compared to the previous month.
- Statistics Canada estimated that there were 443,800 people in the labour force this year in May. Compared to pre-pandemic results (February 2020), this is a drop of 9,600 people.
- The region had the lowest unemployment rate among all major Canadian CMAs, dropping slightly to 4.9% in May.
- Comparable data for the province of Quebec shows that the number of jobs remained relatively stable, with 1,500 more jobs in May 2021 than the previous month. The overall Quebec unemployment rate remained stable at 6.5%.
Charts
Commentary
Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) data for May shows the labour market conditions during the week of May 9 to 15, 2021. Compared to April, May data reflects the lifting of special emergency measures in the region on May 10. The loosening of restrictions included postponing the curfew to 9:30 p.m. and reopening non-essential stores across the Québec City CMA territory. Let us mention that the severity of health measures during the reference week varied between regions.
According to Statistics Canada, the number of people employed in the Québec City CMA was 422,100 in May, 2,700 fewer than in April (-0.6%). The Québec City region registered a decrease of 12,600 jobs (-2.9%) compared to February 2020, before the pandemic, a higher drop than in most major Canadian regions. Note that in December 2020, the number of jobs in Québec City had surpassed the pre-pandemic level before registering a decrease for five consecutive months.
Lower labour market participation
Statistics Canada estimated that there were 443,800 people in the labour force in May in the region. Compared to April, this represents a loss of 3,400 people. Compared to pre-pandemic levels (February 2020), this is a drop of 9,600 people. Note that from February 2016 to February 2020, the region’s average monthly participation rate was 68.3%, while the employment rate was 65.6%. In May 2021, the participation and employment rates reached 64.6% and 61.4%, respectively.
Unemployment remains low
In May, there were 21,700 unemployed people in Québec City, a monthly decrease of 700. However, there are now 3,000 more unemployed people (+16%) in the region than before the pandemic (February 2020). This difference is much lower than in Montréal (+49%) and the province of Quebec (+31.3%) for the same period. Let us point out that the number of unemployed people reached a peak of 52,700 in the region during the first wave (June 2020) before quickly declining.
The unemployment rate was 4.9% in May 2021, a slight decrease compared to April (5%). Québec City remains the region with the lowest unemployment rate among major Canadian CMAs. This drop in the unemployment rate is the result of a higher decrease in the labour force than in employment.
Cautionary Note
The available data for the Québec City census metropolitan area (CMA) was given special statistical treatment (three-month moving average) due to the small sample size, which has the effect of mitigating the large fluctuations in the data. Thus, the data collected in March and April influenced the estimations published for the month of May. Please also note that we use comparable data for the province of Quebec and other CMAs in this document. To learn more, please visit: these reminders about moving averages (ISQ, in French only).
Émile Émond
Economist
Québec International
