Prince Edward Island Labour Market Brief
November 2011
| Monthly Variation | Yearly Variation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally Adjusted Monthly Data | November 2011 | October 2011 | November 2010 | Number | Percent | Number | Percent |
| Population 15+ | 119.8 | 119.6 | 117.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| Labour Force | 81.7 | 81.0 | 80.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Employment | 72.6 | 72.0 | 70.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 |
| Full-Time | 61.4 | 61.0 | 57.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 6.6 |
| Part-Time | 11.1 | 10.9 | 12.8 | 0.2 | 1.8 | -1.7 | 13.3 |
| Unemployment | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.7 | -7.1 |
| Participate Rate (%) | 68.2 | 67.7 | 68.1 | 0.5 | - | 0.1 | - |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 11.1 | 11.2 | 12.2 | -0.1 | - | -1.1 | - |
| Employment Rate (%) | 60.6 | 60.2 | 59.8 | 0.4 | - | 0.8 | - |
| Total may not add due to rounding Source: Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey |
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Employment rose in November while the number of unemployed persons remained unchanged from the previous month. As a result, the Island labour force increased, by nearly 1%. The unemployment rate was 11.1% in November and the participation rate rose by half of a percentage point to 68.2%.
Labour Market Highlights:
- There were a total of 81,700 persons in the labour force in November, an increase of nearly 2% over the previous year.
- Employment in the province totalled 72,600 in November which is up by 3.1% or 2,200 over the same period last year. All of the gains were in full-time jobs while the number employed in part-time work declined 13% on a year-over-year basis. Women between the ages of 25-54 years of age accounted for the majority of employment gains in November.
- The level of unemployment declined from the previous year, by 7.1% or 700 persons. The unemployment rate was 1.1 percentage points lower in November compared to what it was in November 2010.
- Although there were more people in the labour force on a year-over-year basis, the working-age population also increased which left the participation rate about the same as it was a year ago, at 68.2%. The participation rate for females of the core-age cohort (25-54 years) rose by 3.2 percentage points to 87.7% in November. This was the highest in the country.
| Monthly Variation | Yearly Variation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2011 | October 2011 | November 2010 | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Total | 72.6 | 72.0 | 70.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 |
| Goods Producing Sector | 18.3 | 16.7 | 16.7 | 1.6 | 9.6 | 1.6 | 9.6 |
| Agriculture | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 17.1 | 1.6 | 64.0 |
| Forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 20.0 | 0.5 | 16.1 |
| Utilities | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Construction | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 0.3 | 6.4 | 0.3 | 6.4 |
| Manufacturing | 5.3 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 0.1 | 1.9 | -0.8 | 13.1 |
| Service Producing Sector | 54.3 | 55.2 | 53.7 | -0.9 | -1.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Trade | 9.4 | 10.2 | 9.8 | -0.8 | -7.8 | -0.4 | -4.1 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.8 | -0.1 | -4.3 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
| Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 7.7 | 0.6 | 27.3 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 11.1 | 0.1 | 3.4 |
| Management, Administrative and other support services | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 13.6 | -0.5 | 16.7 |
| Educational Services | 5.8 | 6.3 | 6.0 | -0.5 | -7.9 | -0.2 | -3.3 |
| Health care and social assistance | 9.7 | 9.5 | 8.7 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 11.5 |
| Information culture and recreation | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.8 | -0.4 | 14.3 | -0.4 | 14.3 |
| Accommodations and food services | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 0.4 | 7.4 | 0.7 | 13.7 |
| Other Services | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | -0.2 | -6.7 | -0.1 | -3.4 |
| Public Administration | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -0.3 | -3.6 |
| "-" indicates number suppressed due to high sample variance Total may not add due to rounding Source: Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey |
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Industry Highlights:
Goods-producing sector
- Employment in the goods-sector totalled 18,300 in November, an increase of nearly 10% or 1,600 over the same month last year.
- Most of the gains are attributed to employment growth in agriculture*, which is shown to have increased by 1,600 persons. On the flip-side, employment in manufacturing declined on a year-over-year basis, by 800 persons.
- The employment estimates for agriculture may be subject to statistical variation and therefore, should be viewed with caution. For example, in Q4 2010, employment estimates were unusually low which makes the year-over-year growth higher than what may actually be the case.
Services-producing sector
- Employment in the service-sector totalled 54,300 in November, an increase of 1.1% over the same month last year.
- Leading employment growth in this sector was health care and social assistance, which increased by 1,000 persons; and accommodation and food services, +700 persons. Partially offsetting were declines in trade; finance, insurance and real estate; and business support services.
Prepared by: Labour Market and Socio-economic Information Directorate, Maritime Region
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