Montréal, October 9, 2020. – Employment in Québec was up by 76,700 (+1.8%) in September from August 2020. The unemployment rate declined by 1.3 percentage points in September to 7.4%. These are the main highlights of the employment and labour force data based on the results of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey released today.
Employment increased by 706,900 in the last five months, which represents more than 85% of the 820,500 jobs lost between February and April 2020.
In September, both full-time (+45,300) and part-time employment (+31,400) posted growth. Employment increased in the private sector (+46,800) and in the public sector (+45,000), but declined among self-employed workers (-15,100). The participation rate was up 0.2 points to 64.7%, the same level as in February 2020. The employment rate rose 1.0 point to 59.9%.
In Canada, employment increased by 378,200 (+2.1%) in September. The unemployment rate declined by 1.2 points to 9.0%. Ontario (+167,600), Québec, British Columbia (+54,800) and Alberta (+38,200) posted the largest employment gains.
In the first nine months of 2020, employment in Québec fell by 238,300 compared with the same period last year. During this period, full-time employment declined by 123,300, while part-time employment was down 115,000. Since the beginning of 2020, the unemployment rate in Québec has averaged 9.3% (Canada: 9.7%).
Changes in employment and trend-cycle data, Québec, September 2019 to September 2020
Note: Trend-cycle data are a smoothed version of seasonally adjusted data where the effects of irregular movements have been reduced. They are helpful in analyzing long-term changes in the data. For more information: Statistics Canada, Trend-cycle estimates – Frequently asked questions.
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2020. Adapted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Changes in the unemployment rate, Québec, September 2019 to September 2020
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2020. Adapted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
A word of caution regarding the effects of COVID-19 on EPA data
The effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the labour market in September must be interpreted with caution when analyzing Labour Force Survey (LFS) data.
The survey reference period for September is September 13 to 19. The correct categorization of individual labour force status according to the usual definitions of employment, unemployment 1 and inactivity may have been more difficult in this edition of the survey, as has been the case since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.
A longer analysis period will be necessary to assess the trend effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Québec labour market. It should also be noted that the monthly data are based on a sample and are therefore subject to a certain amount of variability. Statistics Canada’s The Daily provides detailed analyses of the pandemic’s impact on the labour market in September 2020.
The LFS estimates for administrative regions, seasonally adjusted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, are published as three-month moving averages to smooth out irregular fluctuations due to small sample sizes. For more information on the interpretation of these data, please refer to Quelques rappels concernant les moyennes mobiles sur trois mois (MM3M) (in French only).
1The Labour Force Survey defines unemployed persons as those who, during the reference week: 1- were on temporary layoff with an expectation of recall and were available for work; or 2- were without work, had looked for work in the past four weeks, and were available for work; or 3- had a new job to start within four weeks, and were available for work.
The Institut de la statistique du Québec produces, analyzes and disseminates official, objective and quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and all those wishing to learn more about Québec.