Chapter 1: Labour market context

Employment growth

During the reporting period, Canadian employment increased by 2.1%, surpassing the growth (+1.6%) recorded in FY1819*. Job creation in FY1920* was a bit higher in part-time work (+2.3%) than full-time work (+2.1%). In addition, the number of employees grew at a relatively higher pace in the public sector (+2.5%) than the private sector (+2.1%).^{Footnote 11}

Employment growth was unevenly spread across enterprises of all sizes over the period examined.^{Footnote 12} Medium-large-sized firms and large-sized firms registered the highest increases in number of employees in the first 3 quarters of FY1920 (+2.8% and +2.3%, respectively), whereas small-sized firms recorded the lowest (+1.0%).^{Footnote 13} Small-medium-sized firms observed a +2.1% rise over the same period. On the other hand, the distribution of employees by enterprise size has stayed relatively constant over recent years. Large-sized firms employed 45.1% of workers in the first 3 quarters of FY1920, while the share of workers in the 3 other firm size categories ranged from 15.6% to 19.7%.

As a result of the measures related to COVID-19, employment fell by almost 1 million (‑5.2%) in March 2020. Some businesses and organizations had to reduce their activities resulting in a combination of reduced work hours, temporary layoffs or permanent reductions in employment. Largest employment losses in March were in part-time work (-14.7%), among private sector employees (-6.6%), youth 15 to 24 years old (-16.0%), women (-6.9%) and workers in temporary jobs (-14.5%). Largest employment declines during that month were also recorded in industries which involve public-facing activities or limited ability to work from home. The most affected were Accommodation and food services (‑23.8%), Information, culture and recreation (‑13.2%), Educational services (-8.8%) and Wholesale and retail trade (-7.1%) industries.^{Footnote 14} However, the cumulative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment was most markedly felt in April 2020. Employment started to rebound in May 2020 with the gradual easing of restrictions and re-opening of the economy (consult the box titled Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market in 2020).

Employment rates

The indicator of employment growth presented above does not take into consideration the working-age population growth (which could be higher, thus resulting in a negative net job creation). The measure of employment rate, which is the proportion of people aged 15 years and over who were employed, accounts for that.

The employment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to reach 61.8% in FY1920* compared to FY1819*, but was still below its highest level of 63.2%, recorded in FY0708*. Both men and women recorded higher employment rates in FY1920* compared to the previous period. Higher rates were also registered for youth aged 15 to 24 years, individuals aged 25 to 54 years, and individuals aged 55 years and over. However, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the overall employment rate dropped by 3.3 percentage points in March 2020, to reach 58.5%. The declines in employment rates were sharper for youth and women during that month (‑9.3 and ‑4.0 percentage points, respectively).

Compared to other G7 countries, Canada ranked first in terms of employment rate in the first 3 quarters of FY1920. However, Germany, Japan and Italy reported higher relative increases in their employment rate compared to Canada over the period examined.^{Footnote 15}

Employment among self-employed workers

The number of self-employed workers grew by +1.7% in FY1920*. This was lower than the overall employment growth (+2.1%) for the same period. As a result, the share of self-employed among total employed declined slightly to 15.1% over the reporting period (-0.1 percentage points from FY1819*).^{Footnote 16} Employment losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic were less pronounced for self-employed than employees in March 2020 (-1.5% and -5.9%, respectively). However, this situation reversed in the subsequent months, as the number of self-employed was farther from its pre-pandemic level than for employees at the end of 2020.^{Footnote 17}

Self-employed workers are not eligible for EI regular benefits, but they can opt in to EI special benefits (consult subsection 2.6.7 for detailed discussion). Nonetheless, they were eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit if they met the eligibility criteria.

Unemployment rates

For the fourth consecutive year, the number of unemployed individuals in Canada declined. It decreased by 1.9% between FY1819* and FY1920*. Combined with the increase in the size of the Canadian labour force during the same period, the unemployment rate decreased from 5.9% in FY1819* to 5.7% in FY1920*. It was the lowest annual unemployment rate since the beginning of the current series in FY7677.

In contrast, due to the COVID-19 economic shutdown, the number of unemployed individuals jumped by 35.6% (+408,100) from February to March 2020. The unemployment rate reached 7.9% in March, a 2.2 percentage point increase compared to the previous month. The unemployment rates for youth 15 to 24 years old and women went up the most in March, increasing by 6.6 and 3.2 percentage points, respectively.

As in recent years, Canada continued to register the third highest unemployment rate among the G7 countries in the first 3 quarters of FY1920, behind France and Italy.^{Footnote 18} Changes in unemployment rates at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis varied greatly across G7 countries. The unemployment rates rose sharply in Canada and in the United States, whereas they posted relatively small increases in the remaining G7 countries. As noted by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), the heterogeneity of the impact on unemployment across OECD countries reflected fundamental differences in countries’ policy mix to cushion the economic and social effects of the crisis.^{Footnote 19}

The unemployment rate is a key labour market element with respect to the EI program. A lower unemployment rate in an EI economic region translates into a higher required number of hours of insurable employment within the qualifying period to qualify for EI regular benefits. This is one of the core eligibility requirements for EI regular benefits in FY1920* (consult section 2.2). The unemployment rate in an EI economic region also plays a role in determining the EI regular benefit entitlement available to a claimant in FY1920*. Regional variations of the unemployment rate are discussed in subsection 1.2.1.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market in 2020

In mid-March 2020, a number of government interventions were put in place to limit the spread of the COVID-19, which resulted in a shutdown of the Canadian economy. Most of the measures taken by various jurisdictions to protect public health continued to be in place in April. Starting in May, some jurisdictions gradually eased public health restrictions and re-opened parts of their economies. Over the summer months of 2020, businesses and workplaces continued to re-open, while physical distancing measures remained in place. In the fall, several provinces tightened public health measures in response to spikes in COVID-19 cases. These measures were generally targeted at businesses where the risk of COVID transmission was considered to be higher, such as restaurants, and recreational and cultural facilities.

As a result of the measures related to COVID-19, employment fell by almost 3 million (-15.6%) between February and April (consult the chart below). With the gradual resumption of economic activities, employment started to increase in May, jumped in June, and continued to rise at a moderate pace over the summer months. During the fall, as new COVID-19 restrictions were implemented, employment grew more slowly and declined slightly in December. As of December 2020, about 2.3 million of jobs (3.4% below pre-pandemic levels) had been recovered from the February to April employment losses.

In the meantime, the unemployment rate had more than doubled from 5.7% in February to a record high of 13.7% in May (consult the chart below). By way of comparison, during the FY0809 recession the unemployment rate reached a peak of 8.7% in June 2009. With the COVID-19 restrictions starting to ease in May and the gradual re-opening of the economy, the unemployment rate began to steadily decline over the summer months of 2020. It continued to decrease during the fall but at a slower pace and increased slightly in December. In December, the unemployment rate stood at 8.8%, which was 4.9 percentage points below the May’s record high, but still 3.1 percentage points higher than the February level.

Text description of chart

Month	Employment (left scale)	Unemployment rate (right scale)
January	19.1	5.6%
February	19.1	5.7%
March	18.1	7.9%
April	16.1	13.1%
may	16.4	13.7%
June	17.4	12.5%
July	17.8	10.9%
August	18.0	10.2%
September	18.4	9.2%
October	18.5	9.0%
November	18.5	8.6%
December	18.5	8.8%

• Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0287-01, seasonally adjusted data.

In addition to employment, hours worked were also affected by the COVID-19 economic shutdown. The number of people who were employed but worked less than half of their usual hours for reasons related to COVID-19 increased by 2.5 million from February to April. By December, this number was down to 485,000, but still higher than the February level.*

Some groups of workers were more severely impacted by the economic downturn. They experienced, on average, larger employment losses and greater increases in unemployment than their counterparts. These included women, youth 15 to 24 years old, workers in low-wage jobs, workers in temporary jobs and people designated as visible minorities. Moreover, certain industries, such as Accommodation and food services, were disproportionally impacted compared to others. This was partly attributable to the varying degree of physical distancing and remote work possibilities across industries.

* Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey (custom tabulation)

Duration of unemployment

Along with the decrease in the national unemployment rate in FY1920*, 2 indicators related to unemployment duration posted declines. For the third consecutive reporting period, the average duration of unemployment spells (continuous periods of unemployment where an individual is looking for work) decreased compared to the previous period. It fell by 1.6 weeks between FY1819* and FY1920*, to 16.5 weeks (consult chart 3).

Similarly, the share of long-term unemployment (that is, unemployed individuals who have been searching for a job for a period of at least 12 consecutive months as a proportion of all unemployed individuals) fell for the third year in a row. It went from 9.9% in FY1819* to 8.2% in FY1920*. Moreover, Canada continued to report the lowest proportion of long-term unemployment among G7 countries in 2019.^{Footnote 20} Despite those declines, both indicators were still above their levels recorded just prior to the recession in FY0809* (consult chart 3).^{Footnote 21}

Text description of chart 3

Reporting period	Long-term unemployment (left scale)	Average weeks of unemployment (right scale)
FY0607*	8.6%	16.4
FY0708*	7.5%	15.4
FY0809*	7.2%	14.9
FY0910*	8.8%	18.3
FY1011*	12.7%	20.4
FY1112*	13.8%	21.3
FY1213*	12.7%	20.6
FY1314*	12.8%	21.3
FY1415*	12.8%	20.8
FY1516*	11.4%	19.9
FY1617*	12.1%	20.3
FY1718*	11.7%	19.1
FY1819*	9.9%	18.8
FY1920*	8.2%	16.5

• † Long-term unemployment is defined as unemployed individuals who have been searching for a job for a period of at least 12 consecutive months. The percentages presented in this chart are the long-term unemployed as a proportion of all unemployed individuals.
• Note: Shaded area(s) corresponds to recessionary period(s) in Canada's economy.
• Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0342-01, seasonally adjusted data.

Both indicators of unemployment duration reached lower levels on average in March 2020 compared to FY1920* due to the COVID-19 crisis. The average duration of unemployment spells was 12.6 weeks in March, while the share of long-term unemployment stood at 6.0%. This was mainly due to the large inflow of unemployed individuals who had very low unemployment spells and who contributed to lowering the average unemployment duration during that month.

Reasons for unemployment

Unemployment can result from a number of factors and the reasons for a person’s unemployment are another key factor in determining eligibility for EI benefits.^{Footnote 22} Generally, EI regular benefits are only available to individuals who have lost their job for reasons outside their control or who left their job with just cause.

As in previous years, individuals who became unemployed because they lost their job accounted for the largest share (41.5%) of the unemployed population in Canada in FY1920*. Generally, 9 out of 10 of those individuals became unemployed because of a permanent layoff. Individuals who became unemployed because they left their job (job leavers) accounted for 21.0% over the same reporting period. Lastly, unemployed individuals with no recent work experience (that is, those who have not worked in the last year or have never worked) accounted for 37.5% of the unemployed population in FY1920*. These proportions remained roughly the same as FY1819*.^{Footnote 23}

However, the large inflow of unemployment caused by the economic shutdown in March 2020 resulted in an increase in the share of job losers among the unemployed population. Compared to the same month in 2019, this share rose by 20.3 percentage points in March 2020 (consult chart 4). Almost all of the inflow in unemployment in March 2020 was due to temporary layoffs (that is, individuals who expected to return to their job within 6 months).^{Footnote 24} Consequently, in March 2020, half of job losers were unemployed because of temporary layoffs compared to 1 out of 10 in March 2019.

Text description of chart 4

Month	Job losers	No recent work experience: have never worked	No recent work exprience: have not worked in the last year	Job leavers
March 2019	44.5%	24.3%	10.7%	20.5%
March 2020	64.8%	15.0%	7.7%	12.5%

• Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0125-01, seasonally unadjusted data.

From an EI perspective, eligibility for EI regular benefits is largely based on the number of hours of insurable employment that an individual has accumulated in the previous 52 weeks. The COVID-19 crisis led to more individuals with recent job experience among the unemployed population than in previous years. However, as previously mentioned, employment losses were larger for youth 15 to 24 years old, women and workers in temporary jobs. These workers tend to be less covered by, and eligible for, EI regular benefits (consult subsection 2.2.2). This would likely impact the indicators of access and coverage of the EI program in 2020.

Job vacancies

Following 2 years of significant increases, the number of job vacancies (unoccupied positions for which employers are actively seeking workers) barely increased during the first 3 quarters of FY1920 (+0.5%) compared to the previous period. Likewise, the job vacancy rate (the number of job vacancies expressed as a percentage of all occupied and vacant jobs) held constant at 3.3% during the reporting period. The duration of job vacancies, however, continued to rise slightly. This suggests that, in general, it took employers more time to fill their vacant positions during the period examined compared to the previous one.^{Footnote 25}

Job vacancies usually become more difficult to fill when the available labour force, primarily the unemployed individuals, declines relative to the number of vacant positions. The labour market is tightening in this case. An indicator of labour market tightness is the unemployment-to-vacancy (UV) ratio. It measures the number of unemployed people for every vacant position and describes how tight or slack the labour market is. A low UV ratio corresponds to a lower number of unemployed people relative to the total job vacancies, which indicates a tighter labour market.^{Footnote 26}

The UV ratio stayed virtually unchanged at 2.0 in the first 3 quarters of FY1920, compared to 2.1 during the same period in FY1819. This means that the labour market tightness appeared to have reached a plateau in Canada over that period.^{Footnote 27}

Hours of work

Other indicators, such as hours of work and wages, are also widely used to describe conditions in the labour market. They are also closely linked to the administration of the EI program.

The number of hours of insurable employment is a key eligibility criterion of the EI program, as claimants must have worked a minimum number of insurable hours in the previous year to qualify for EI benefits. It also determines, along with the regional unemployment rate, the maximum number of weeks of EI regular benefits a claimant is entitled to receive.

The average number of hours usually worked by Canadians—hours usually worked in a typical week, not including any overtime—held constant at 36.6 per week in FY1920*. It has been flat in recent years and below the FY0809* pre-recession level. In contrast, the average actual hours worked decreased by 2.0%, from 33.5 in FY1819* to 32.8 in FY1920*. This latter measure of work hours reflects temporary decreases or increases in work hours (for example, hours lost due to illness or vacation, or more hours worked due to overtime).

In addition to employment, hours worked were also impacted by the COVID-19 economic shutdown. A year-over-year comparison indicated a drop of 11.9% in the average actual hours worked recorded in March 2020 compared to March 2019.^{Footnote 28} Moreover, of those who were employed in March 2020, the number who did not work any hours during the week the Labour Force Survey was conducted increased by 1.5 million compared with February. For the same period, the number who worked less than half of their usual hours increased by 700,000.^{Footnote 29} Overall, the total number of actual hours worked was 15.7% lower in March 2020 than in March 2019.

Wages

Earnings are also an important element for the administration of the EI program. They determine the EI premiums paid by employers and employees, as well as the level of benefits that claimants can receive. Earnings can be a combination of hourly wages and hours worked, a fixed amount paid for a specific period (for example, a week) or in the form of commissions, tips or bonuses.^{Footnote 30} Indicators of average hourly wages and average weekly earnings are therefore examined.

Average nominal hourly wages grew faster in FY1920* compared to the previous reporting period. The growth ranged from +2.7% to +4.0% in FY1920*, depending on the data sources examined, as opposed to a range of +1.8% to +2.6% in FY1819*.^{Footnote 31} Average nominal hourly wages also registered a rise relative to the increase in the consumer price index (CPI) (+2.1%) in FY1920*, resulting in higher real hourly wages.^{Footnote 32}

Along with hourly wages, the average nominal weekly earnings increased by 3.2% in FY1920* to reach $1,036, surpassing the growth (+2.3%) observed in the previous period. In real terms, the average weekly earnings went up by 1.1% in FY1920*. In contrast, it remained virtually unchanged in FY1819*, as the CPI grew by 2.2% during that period.^{Footnote 33}

Wage growth dynamics are linked to a variety of factors, notably labour productivity, labour market tightness, inflation expectations, demographic shifts, structural changes and minimum wages increases. Compared with 1 year earlier, average nominal hourly wages rose by 6.4% in March 2020. This increase was mainly attributable to larger employment declines in relatively low-paying industries (such as Accommodation and food services and Wholesale and retail trade industries) associated with the COVID-19 crisis. Half of the decline in employment among employees in March was accounted for by those earning less than two-thirds of the 2019 median hourly wage.^{Footnote 34} This caused a shift in the wage distribution that resulted in higher average hourly wages in March.

1.2.1 Canada’s regional labour market

Canada’s strong labour market performance in FY1920* was essentially driven by British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario. These provinces had among the highest rates of employment growth combined with some of the lowest unemployment rates. In contrast, Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta, which have economies more dependent on oil production, underperformed the national average in terms of both job creation and unemployment during the reporting period.^{Footnote 35}

Employment growth was at or above the national average in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, as well as Yukon in FY1920* (consult table 1). Conversely, the Northwest Territories saw a decline in employment over the same period. The remaining provinces and territories posted relatively small increases over the reporting period.

However, all provinces experienced a drop in employment in March 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Relative job losses during that month were the largest in Quebec (-6.0%), Nova Scotia (‑5.6%), Ontario (-5.2%), and British Columbia (-5.1%) (consult table 1). The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on employment continued to be felt in April 2020 as most of the measures taken by various jurisdictions to protect public health continued to be in effect. Employment started to rebound in most provinces in May 2020 with the gradual easing of restrictions and re-opening of the economies.

• Note: Figures for Canada’s labour force, participation rate and employment exclude the territories. Percentage change is based on unrounded numbers.
• † Comparable month-over-month differences are not available for the territories because their data are based on three-month moving average.
• Sources: Statistics Canada; Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0287-01 and 14-10-0292-01, seasonally adjusted data.

In FY1920*, the unemployment rate decreased or remained unchanged in 9 jurisdictions compared to FY1819*, while it increased in 4 regions (consult table 2). Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador registered the largest declines in the unemployment rate, which reflected stronger drops in the labour force than changes in employment in both jurisdictions. In comparison, the decreases in unemployment rates in the other regions were all associated with a stronger growth in employment than in labour force.

Similarly, the increases in unemployment rates in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Yukon resulted from a higher boost in labour force than in employment. In contrast, the increase in unemployment rate in Northwest Territories was associated with a decline in employment.

Among the provinces, British Columbia continued to record the lowest unemployment rate (4.8%) for the fourth consecutive year in FY1920*, despite posting no change compared to FY1819* (consult table 2). Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan also posted unemployment rates at or below the national average. The unemployment rate in Alberta increased to 7.1%, well above the level observed prior to the downturn in crude oil prices in FY1415. That said, Alberta continued to record the highest labour force participation rate among the provinces. The Atlantic provinces still had much higher unemployment rates than the national average. In the territories, Yukon registered the lowest unemployment rate, whereas Nunavut posted the highest.

• Note: Figures for Canada’s unemployment rate exclude the territories. Percentage change is based on unrounded numbers.
• † Comparable month-over-month differences are not available for the territories because their data are based on three-month moving average.
• Sources: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0287-01 and 14-10-0292-01, seasonally adjusted data.

Because of the notable slowdown in economic activity in March 2020, the unemployment rate rose in most provinces from February to March 2020. The increases ranged from +0.9 percentage points in Prince Edward Island to +3.7 percentage points in Quebec. Unemployment rates generally continued to increase in April and May 2020, and then started to decrease at different paces across the provinces over the following months.

As opposed to the contrasting regional evolution of unemployment rates, the average duration of unemployment spells went down in all provinces in FY1920*, with the exception of Prince Edward Island (consult chart 5). For the fourth consecutive year, Alberta posted the highest average unemployment duration (19.5 weeks), while the lowest was observed in British Columbia (12.5 weeks). As explained by the substantial inflow of unemployed individuals due to the COVID-19 crisis, the average unemployment duration decreased in almost all provinces in March 2020.^{Footnote 36}

Text description of chart 5

Province	FY1819*	FY1920*
Newfoundland and Labrador	20.6	17.4
Prince Edward Island	14.4	16.1
Nova Scotia	18.2	16.1
New Brunswick	16.3	15.0
Quebec	18.6	17.7
Ontario	17.2	15.9
Manitoba	16.4	16.1
Saskatchewan	21.0	18.5
Alberta	21.6	19.5
British Columbia	15.7	12.5
Canada	18.1	16.5

• Note: The average unemployment spells for Canada exclude the territories.
• Sources: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0342-01, seasonally adjusted data.

In terms of vacant positions, growth in job vacancies varied greatly across provinces between the first 3 quarters of FY1819 and the same period in FY1920 (consult table 3). Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan recorded notable increases in job vacancies and posted a higher job vacancy rate compared to the previous reporting period. Among the provinces, British Columbia and Quebec posted the highest job vacancy rates in the first 3 quarters of FY1920. As these provinces also reported the lowest unemployment rates, data suggest that they had the tightest labour markets across Canada over the reporting period. This was also reflected in the unemployment-to-vacancy (UV) ratio, as British Columbia and Quebec had the lowest UV ratios (1.3 and 1.6, respectively) in the country during this period.

• Note: Figures for Canada’s job vacancy growth, job vacancy rate and unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio include all provinces and territories. Percentage change is based on unrounded numbers.
• Sources: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0287-01, seasonally unadjusted data (for data on unemployment) and Statistics Canada, Job Vacancy and Wage Survey, Table 14-10-0325-01, seasonally unadjusted data (for data on job vacancies).

In comparison, Ontario had a UV ratio of 2.1 in the reporting period, indicating that labour market tightness in this province was more in line with the national average (2.0). All other provinces registered UV ratios above the national average, suggesting some labour market slack relative to the Canadian average.

Regarding weekly hours worked, Saskatchewan, Alberta and most Atlantic provinces generally recorded higher actual hours worked than the Canadian average in FY1920* (consult table 4).^{Footnote 37} Conversely, those worked in Quebec and British Columbia were lower on average. The number of hours worked is a key eligibility criterion of the EI program. In general, provinces with above-average number of hours worked record high EI eligibility rates (see subsection 2.2.2). However, eligibility to the EI program is sensitive to economic and employment conditions in a given region, and could also vary within a province.

All jurisdictions experienced an increase in their average nominal weekly earnings in FY1920* compared to the previous reporting period (consult table 4). In real terms, they also all recorded a greater rise in weekly earnings relative to the increase in the consumer price index, except for Manitoba.^{Footnote 38} This generally indicates an increase in the purchasing power of workers in those jurisdictions in FY1920*.^{Footnote 39}

• † Earnings include overtime and apply to employees paid by the hour, salaried employees and other employees.
• ‡ Average hours worked per week reflects the number of hours actually worked in the reference week of the Labour Force Survey at all jobs.
• Sources: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0042-01, seasonally unadjusted data (for data on hours worked), Statistics Canada, Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours, Table 14-10-0203-01, seasonally unadjusted data (for data on nominal earnings), and Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index Measures, Table 18-10-0004-01 (for data on CPI).

1.2.2 Interprovincial mobility trends

A substantial number of people in Canada relocate across provincial and territorial borders each year. Between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, an estimated 278,000 individuals relocated within Canada. Several factors can influence an individual’s decision to move across provinces and territories, including but not limited to, job opportunities, education/school or family reasons. Interprovincial mobility attributable to emerging employment opportunities or declines in labour demand gives workers the possibility to access labour markets in other jurisdictions and find a job that may be better suited for their particular skillset. From a national perspective, interprovincial mobility can increase real GDP and aggregate labour productivity growth. It can also improve individual outcomes in terms of finding suitable employment. This occurs when workers from provinces with high unemployment and an excess of labour supply move to provinces with lower unemployment and labour shortages.

Since the mid-1990s, Western Canada, in particular Alberta, was the destination of choice for a majority of working-age Canadian interprovincial migrants (aged 15 to 64 years). However, with the downturn in crude oil prices in FY1415 and less favourable labour market conditions in Alberta, trends have somewhat shifted to Ontario and British Columbia in recent years. In Alberta, the net migration was on average 21,400 each year from July 2005 to June 2015 (representing 0.81% of its working-age population) (consult chart 6). This trend has reversed since July 2015, with a net migration of -5,200 on average per year or ‑0.18% of the working-age population in that province. Saskatchewan, another oil-producing province, also recorded a substantial negative average annual net migration since July 2015. Conversely, labour market developments in Ontario and British Columbia have made these provinces the preferred destination of interprovincial migrants since July 2015 (+5,500 and +14,400 of net migration on average per year, respectively).

Text description of chart 6

Region	July 2005 to June 2015 (annual average)	July 2015 to June 2020 (annual average)
Atlantic provinces	-0.35%	0.03%
Quebec	-0.13%	-0.08%
Ontario	-0.12%	0.06%
Manitoba	-0.47%	-0.59%
Saskatchewan	-0.02%	-0.76%
Alberta	0.81%	-0.18%
British Columbia	0.20%	0.42%

• Note: Annual is defined as the period from July 1 to June 30.
• ^P Preliminary data for July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
• Source: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0015-01 (for interprovincial migration) and 17-10-0005-01 (for population estimates).