Montréal, May 8, 2020. – In April 2020, employment was down 556,500 (-13.5%) in Québec from March 2020, while the unemployment rate rose 8.9 percentage points, standing at 17.0%. 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.
Full-time employment fell by 451,500 and part-time employment by 105,000. The private sector (-529,300), the public sector (-13,600) and the self-employed (-13,500) all recorded drops in employment. The participation rate fell 2.7 points to 60.4%, while the employment rate dropped 7.9 points to 50.1%.
In Canada, employment fell by 1,993,800 (-11.0%) in April. The unemployment rate rose 5.2 percentage points to 13.0%. Ontario (-689,200), Québec (-556,500), British Columbia (-264,100) and Alberta (-243,800) posted the largest employment losses.
In the first four months of 2020, compared to the same period of the previous year, employment in Québec decreased by 210,000. During this period, full-time employment dropped by 87,000 and part-time employment by 123,000. Since the start of 2020, the unemployment rate in Québec has averaged 8.5% (Canada: 7.9%).
Word of caution regarding the effects of COVID-19 on EPA data
As in March, the labour market effects of the COVID-19 outbreak should be interpreted with caution when analyzing the results of the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
The survey reference period for April is April 12 to 18. The effects on employment and unemployment of certain measures taken by the Québec government during this period were therefore potentially measured by the survey, notably the resumption of activities of mining companies and summer businesses (landscaping, nurseries, garden centres and swimming pools) as of Wednesday, April 15.
Unlike the March edition, the April edition takes into account the effects of the cessation of non-essential activities announced on March 23. The adoption of support measures by the federal government (Canada Emergency Response Benefit, wage subsidies to businesses) may also have had an impact on the survey results of April. However, the impact of the addition of residential construction sites to the list of essential services and activities in Québec are not measured by the survey, since this addition came into effect on April 20, which is after the reference week.
The correct categorization of a person’s labour force status according to the usual definitions of employment, unemployment1 and inactivity may have been more difficult in this edition of the survey.
Finally, the earlier implementation of measures in some provinces may affect interprovincial comparisons.
A longer analysis period is 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 April 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).
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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.
Changes in employment and trend-cycle data, Québec, April 2019 to April 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, April 2019 to April 2020
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2020. Adapted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
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.