Prince Edward Island Labour Market Brief
February 2011
| Monthly Variation | Yearly Variation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in thousands of persons | February 2011 | January 2011 | February 2010 | Level | Percent | Level | Percent |
| Population 15+ | 118.5 | 118.2 | 116.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Labour Force | 79.6 | 79.6 | 80.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.7 | -0.9 |
| Employment | 70.2 | 70.6 | 72.2 | -0.4 | -0.6 | -2.0 | -2.8 |
| Full-Time | 59.1 | 58.6 | 58.6 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| Part-Time | 11.2 | 12.0 | 13.6 | -0.8 | -6.7 | -2.4 | -17.6 |
| Unemployment | 9.3 | 9.0 | 8.2 | 0.3 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 13.4 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 11.7 | 11.3 | 10.2 | 0.4 | - | 1.5 | - |
| Participate Rate (%) | 67.2 | 67.3 | 68.9 | -0.1 | - | -1.7 | - |
| Employment Rate (%) | 59.2 | 59.7 | 61.9 | -0.5 | - | -2.7 | - |
| Total may not add due to rounding Source: Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey |
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There was no change in the labour force month-to-month. A slight decline in employment was matched by an increase in unemployment. The unemployment rate rose to 11.7% in February.
The Island labour force fell slightly on a year-over-year basis. Employment declined from the previous year by nearly 3%, with the entire loss concentrated in part-time jobs. Full-time employment increased by 500 in February 2011, comprised entirely of women.
The unemployment rate was 1.5 percentage points higher compared to February 2010. There were 9,300 persons unemployed in PEI in February 2011, which is an increase of 1,100 compared to the same month last year. The core-age cohort (i.e. persons 25-54 years of age) experienced most of the job losses and the unemployment rate for this group rose by nearly 3 percentage points to 11.5%. Labour market conditions for youths remained largely unchanged year-over-year; and there were fewer seniors in the labour force in February.
The Island participation rate declined for the fourth straight month to 67.2% in February, the lowest it has been in two years. Despite the decline, the participation rate in PEI remains amongst the highest in the country and continues to outpace the national average. In February 2011, the participation rates for women in both youth and core-age groups were the highest in the country, at 71.4% and 84.9% respectively.
| Monthly Variation | Yearly Variation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally Adjusted Data ('000) | February 2011 | January 2011 | February 2010 | Number | % | Number | % |
| Total | 70.2 | 70.6 | 72.2 | -0.4 | -0.6 | -2.0 | -2.8 |
| Goods Producing Sector | 16.9 | 17.2 | 18.0 | -0.3 | -1.7 | -1.1 | -6.1 |
| Agriculture | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | -0.1 | -2.7 | -0.2 | -5.3 |
| Forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.7 | -0.2 | -6.7 | 0.1 | 3.7 |
| Utilities | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 100.0 |
| Construction | 5.0 | 5.1 | 6.2 | -0.1 | -2.0 | -1.2 | -19.4 |
| Manufacturing | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 2.0 |
| Service Producing Sector | 53.3 | 53.4 | 54.2 | -0.1 | -0.2 | -0.9 | -1.7 |
| Trade | 9.7 | 9.6 | 11.3 | 0.1 | 1.0 | -1.6 | -14.2 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 11.1 | -0.2 | -9.1 |
| Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 4.3 | 0.1 | 4.3 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.4 | -0.1 | -3.6 | 0.3 | 12.57 |
| Business, building and other support services | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.9 | -0.1 | -3.6 | -0.2 | -6.9 |
| Educational Services | 6.3 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 0.2 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 12.5 |
| Health care and social assistance | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.4 |
| Information culture and recreation | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | -0.1 | -3.3 | 0.7 | 31.8 |
| Accommodations and food services | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.5 | -0.3 | -5.7 | -0.5 | -9.1 |
| Other Services | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 0.2 | 7.4 | -0.7 | -19.4 |
| Public Administration | 7.9 | 8.2 | 7.7 | -0.3 | -3.7 | 0.2 | 2.6 |
| "-" indicates number suppressed due to high sample variance Total may not add due to rounding Source: Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey – HRSDC Table-88 |
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There were 70,200 persons employed in the province in February 2011. About one in four workers in PEI are employed in the goods-sector, which represents the highest ratio amongst the Atlantic Provinces.
Goods-producing sector
Goods-sector employment declined by 6% in February 2011, compared to a year ago.
- Most of the losses occurred in the construction industry, which declined by nearly 20% on a year-over-year basis; and agriculture employment declined 5.3%.
- Employment in manufacturing edged up slightly to 5,200 in February, but remains considerably lower compared to pre-recession levels (which averaged 6,500 over the 2006-2008 period).
Services-producing sector
Employment in services totalled 53,300 in February 2011, which is 1.7% lower relative to the same month last year.
- There were a total of 9,700 persons employed in the trade industry in February, which is down from 11,300 a year ago (-14.2%).
- Lower year-over-year employment levels in trade and other service industries (particularly accommodation and food servies (-9%)), was partially offset by higher employment in information, culture and recreation (+700); and in educational services (+700).
Prepared by: Labour Market and Socio-economic Information Directorate, Maritime Region
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