Canadian Survey of Employment, Payroll, and Hours Posts Modest Gains in July

Statistics Canada (StatCan) on Thursday (9-28-23) reported that the number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as “payroll employment” in the Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours—was up only 4,900 in July, following an increase of 65,900, or 0.4%, in June.

Job vacancies declined by 43,100, or 5.8%, to 701,300 in July, continuing the steady downward trend established in June 2022.

StatCan reports payroll employment changes were modest in all sectors in July. The breakdown is as follows: Public administration added 6,000 new jobs, up 0.5%; and health care and social assistance added 4,500 new positions, up 0.2%. Finance and insurance posted 3,400 new jobs, up 0.4%; and arts, entertainment, and recreation added 3,000 new jobs, up 1.0%.

Those gains were offset by monthly declines in manufacturing, with a loss of 7,600 jobs, down 0.5%; information and cultural industries lost 3,800 positions, or 1.0%; retail trade shed 2,300 jobs, down 0.1%; professional, scientific, and technical services lost 2,200 positions, down 0.2%; and wholesale trade lost 2,100 jobs, down 0.3%. Accommodation and food services, management companies, and enterprises all also shed jobs. The remaining nine sectors recorded minimal changes.