Last month, the Canadian economy added 157,000 jobs, bringing the employment rate to within a percentage point of pre-pandemic levels.

The employment rate is the number of people who are employed as a percentage of the population aged 15 and up. In September, Canada's employment rate was 6.9%, which was 0.9% lower than the February 2020 rate due to population growth.

The Labour Force Survey conducted by Statistics Canada covered the Canadian labour market from September 12th to 18th. Earlier that week, several provinces imposed proof-of-vaccination requirements for entry into non-essential venues, such as gyms and restaurants.

In September, the unemployment rate fell for the fourth month in a row, to 6.9%, the lowest level since the pandemic began. The employment rate among very recent immigrants has risen steadily, reaching 71% last month. Immigrants who have been in Canada for more than five years had an employment rate of nearly 59%, a percentage point decrease from September 2019.

Although the overall population of newcomers has not increased during the pandemic, the number of very recent immigrants working in certain industries has increased. Professional, scientific, and technical services, as well as finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing, are examples. Throughout the pandemic, employment in these two industries has increased steadily.

For the first time, the services sector surpassed its pre-COVID employment level. Public administration, information, culture and recreation, and professional, scientific, and technical services led the way in terms of growth.

In contrast, some industries, such as lodging and food services, have yet to return to the levels of employment seen in February 2020. This is due in part to the industry being heavily influenced by public health measures. Employment in food services fell for the first time in five months in September. Retail employment has also decreased.

Overall, there was little change in the goods-producing sector, which has been the case since it lost 94,000 jobs between April and June. Manufacturing and natural resources were the exceptions, both of which experienced job growth in September.

With Canada on the rise as an employment destination, it is critical to have your skills evaluated by a licenced immigration consultancy so that you can skip the line and take your first steps into Canada when the borders reopen.