Montréal, February 7, 2020. – In January 2020, employment increased by 19,100 (+0.4%) in Québec from December 2019. In December, the unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 5.1%. These are the main findings of an analysis of the employment and labour force data released today by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, based on the results of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey.1
Full-time employment rose by 31,200, while part-time employment fell by 12,200.
Employment increased both in the private sector (+13,400) and the public sector (+15,600), but decreased among the self-employed (-10,000). In January, the participation rate remained unchanged at 64.8%, while the employment rate increased (+0.3 percentage points) to 61.6%.
In Canada, employment in January rose by 34,500 (+0.2%). The unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 5.5%. Québec (+19,100) and Ontario (+15,900) recorded the strongest employment gains, while Alberta (-18,900) posted the largest drop.
In Québec, employment increased by 60,300 in January 2020 from January 2019. Over this period, full-time employment rose by 68,600, while part-time employment fell by 8,300. Since January 2019, the unemployment rate in Québec decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 5.1% (Canada: -0.3 percentage points; 5.5%).
Changes in employment and trend-cycle data, Québec, January 2019 to January 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. A 13-period Dagum and Luati weighted moving average is applied systematically to each month of the seasonally adjusted series, except for the past six months, where asymmetric weighting is substituted for the Dagum and Luati averages. Data for the six most recent months (dashed line) are based on a preliminary estimation of the trend-cycle and may be revised when data for a new month are added. For more information: Trend-cycle estimates – Frequently asked questions. Fortier, Matthews and Gellatly. Statistics Canada.
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2020. Adapted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Changes in the unemployment rate, Québec, January 2019 to January 2020
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2020. Adapted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
1. Every month, the Institut de la statistique du Québec publishes the Résultats de l’Enquête sur la population active pour le Québec based on data released by Statistics Canada. This document is available on the Institut’s website at 2 p.m. The monthly estimates taken from the Labour Force Survey are based on a sample and are thus subject to a greater variability than trends observed over longer periods of time, particularly when these estimates are broken down by subcategory such as sex, age, region or industry.
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.