Highlights
- According to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS), the unemployment rate in the Québec City census metropolitan area (CMA) rose to 4.1% in January.
- There were 441,300 people employed in the region in the first month of 2020, the result of a monthly drop of 6,600 jobs (‑1.5%), exceeding the stagnation observed in the province of Quebec and Canada.
- The variation in the labour force, which greatly impacts employment market variations, was a decrease of 3,900 people in January.
- In the province of Quebec, data shows a slight fluctuation in the number of people employed, with 200 fewer jobs in January compared to December, while the unemployment rate remained stable at 5.3%.
Commentary
According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), January 2020 marked a 7th consecutive monthly decrease in the number of people employed in the Québec City metropolitan area. The beginning of the year followed the same labour market trend as in the second half of 2019. In this regard, according to Statistics Canada, there were 441,300 people employed in the area in January 2020, a drop of 6,600 people (-1.5%) compared to December 2019. However, in the province of Quebec and Canada, the labour market remained stable, with very little fluctuations. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate reached 4.1% in the Québec City CMA, crossing the 4% threshold for the first time since November 2017. It still remains the lowest in the country, while eight Canadian CMAs registered a rate below 5%. The unemployment rate in the region will remain low throughout the year as job opportunities abound, as shown by the high number of vacancies.
The variation in the region’s labour force, which drives variations in the employment market, was a drop of 3,900 people in January. Moreover, compared to the same period last year, there were 5,200 fewer people in the labour market (‑1.1%). Among the major Canadian census metropolitan areas, Québec City is the only one to have registered a year-over-year drop in the labour market in January, which confirms the apparent labour scarcity felt in the region. As for the participation and employment rates in January 2020, they were down to 66.8% and 64% respectively. Despite these monthly and annual rate declines, labour force activity in Québec City remains among the highest in the province of Quebec.
Émile Émond
Economist
Québec International
