Canadian Payroll Employment Data for August

Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported on Thursday (10-26-23) that the number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as “payroll employment” in the Survey of Employment, Payroll, and Hours—declined by 46,800, or 0.3%, in August, following minimal changes in July. At the same time, job vacancies remained on a downward trajectory, declining from 697,900 in July to 682,400 in August.

StatCan is reporting that the largest payroll employment decline in August was in the construction sector, where a 22,300-job decline, or 1.9%, was reported. That was followed by manufacturing, down 4.500 jobs, or 0.3%, and retail trade, down 4,300 jobs, or 0.2%.

Offsetting the August losses were gains in public administration, up 7,400 jobs, or 0.6%; health care and social assistance, up 4,500 jobs, or 0.2%; and finance and insurance, up 4,100 jobs, or 0.5%. Little change was observed in the remaining sectors.