Canadian employment returns to pre-pandemic level
National employment rose by 157,000 (+0.8%) in September, the fourth consecutive monthly increase. The unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%. Employment returned to its February 2020 level in September, increasing by 157,000 (+0.8%). The employment rate was 60.9%, 0.9 percentage points lower than in February 2020. The labour force participation rate was 65.5% in September, matching the rate observed in February 2020.
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Ontario welcomes return of 1.1 million jobs lost due to COVID-19
Provincial employment rose by 73,600, returning the province to pre-pandemic employment levels. Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, welcomed the news. “As our #TeamOntario vaccine campaign continues,” he commented, “and proof of vaccination is now required to access certain businesses and settings, it is more important than ever to ensure we are well-prepared for the future.
Minister Fideli also highlighted the announcement of October 1 as Manufacturing Day to kick off a full month of activities to celebrate our province’s world class manufacturers, and the 2021 Burden Reduction Report: Fueling Future Growth by Modernizing Ontario’s Regulatory System.
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Niagara employment up 8,900
NWPB’s Eye on Employment outlines the latest data from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. These data report that in September of 2021, Niagara saw 8,900 more people in employment compared to August 2021. This increase can be attributed to gains in full-time employment (+9,300).
Notably, we saw Niagara’s unemployment rate decrease from 10.4% in August to 8.2% in September. In addition, we saw gains in both the participation and employment rates. The size of the labour force also increased to 232,100 people in September – outnumbering the labour force seen in September 2019 (221,200 people).
Together, these trends likely indicate a labour market that is actively seeking employment. With the increase in employment rates, more people are finding employment, though our unemployment rate in September 2021 (8.2%) still surpasses that seen in September 2019 (5.8%).
NWPB’s full report is available online through this link.
| Labour force characteristics | August 2020 | September 2020 | 2020 | July 2021 | August 2021 | September 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour force | 215,600 | 215,900 | 211,200 | 218,200 | 227,900 | 232,100 |
| Employment | 191,200 | 196,800 | 190,600 | 195,400 | 204,300 | 213,200 |
| Full-time employment | 153,400 | 154,300 | 147,200 | 157,800 | 162,200 | 171,500 |
| Part-time employment | 37,800 | 42,500 | 43,400 | 37,700 | 42,100 | 41,700 |
| Unemployment | 24,500 | 19,100 | 20,600 | 22,800 | 23,600 | 19,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 11.4% | 8.8% | 9.8% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 8.2% |
| Participation rate | 58.0% | 58.1% | 56.9% | 58.5% | 61.1% | 62.2% |
| Employment rate | 51.5% | 52.9% | 51.3% | 52.4% | 54.8% | 57.1% |
Chief Public Health Officer of Canada: fourth wave could decline if vaccine uptake and public health measures are maintained
The updated longer-range modelling forecast suggests that at current levels of transmission, the Delta-driven fourth wave could decline in the coming weeks if we maintain vaccine uptake and existing public health measures. This is a significant improvement over the previous trajectory presented in early September, when a large resurgence was forecast. The re-introduction of public health measures in heavily impacted areas has helped slow overall epidemic growth, nationally. Although several jurisdictions are still facing considerable challenges, this update reaffirms that by achieving a strong foundation of protection, with over 82% of eligible Canadians fully vaccinated, and applying public health measures, epidemic growth can be managed.
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Reading Recommendations
Canada posts massive jobs gain; employment back to pre-pandemic levels
Reuters
The Canadian economy posted a monster jobs gain in September, pushing employment back to its pre-pandemic levels, and the jobless rate hit an 18-month low, Statistics Canada data indicated on Friday.
Analysts said the figures showed the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was gaining pace but predicted the Bank of Canada would want to see sustained evidence of strength before adopting a more aggressive stance on the timing of interest rate hikes.
Statistics Canada reported a net gain of 157,100 new jobs, all of them in full-time employment. The jobless rate dipped to 6.9%, the lowest level since February 2020.
New COVID-19 cases on a downward trend for first time in months
CBC News
Canada’s chief public health officer says that in spite of the challenges posed by the current wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are good reasons for optimism in the latest federal modelling data.
Speaking at a technical briefing on the data today, Dr. Theresa Tam said the virus’s reproductive number (Rt) has fallen below one for the first time since mid-July.
That means new infections are on a downward trajectory in Canada for the first time in months.
“However, Rt has only just fallen below one nationally, and still may be at or above one in some areas,” Tam said. “To bring the epidemic under control, Rt needs to be maintained consistently below one.”
Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker
These data show the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara. The Province of Ontario is now using a provincewide approach to reopening, and these data no longer have any influence on Niagara’s restrictions. Lower numbers are better in all metrics.
| December 18 | December 25 | January 1 | January 8 | January 15 | January 22 | January 29 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive number | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| New cases per 100,000 | 101.2 | 267.3 | 469.8 | 575.8 | 507.1 | 295.5 | 250.6 |
| New cases per day (not including outbreaks) | 60.7 | 178.7 | 311.7 | 376.9 | 325.4 | 182.7 | 145.7 |
| Percent of hospital beds occupied | 97% | 95.2% | 98.2% | 103.2% | 104.5% | 103.6% | 106% |
| Percent of intensive care beds occupied | 78.8% | 77.3% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 90.9% | 89.4% | 93.9% |
| Percentage of positive tests | 6.1% | 15.6% | 28.1% | 28.6% | 26.6% | 21.2% | 16.2% |
Last updated: October 2, 2021
Click here for definitions of terms used in this table.
On October 8, there were 11 patients admitted to Niagara Health with COVID-19, 10 of whom were unvaccinated and 1 of whom was fully vaccinated. There were 4 patients with COVID-19 in a Niagara Health Intensive Care Unit.
Over the last 28 days, a Niagara resident vaccinated with 1 dose was 3.6 times more likely to contract COVID-19, and an unvaccinated person was 6.6 times more likely. The average weekly rate of hospitalized cases in unvaccinated Canadians was 36 times higher compared to fully vaccinated people. Niagara Health has reported that no vaccinated patients have required intensive care to date.
Data are drawn from Niagara Region Public Health and Niagara Health.
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker
Niagara’s most up-to-date vaccination numbers are presented below, along with comparison data from Ontario, Canada, and G7 countries.
| Percentage of population with one dose | Percentage of population fully vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| Niagara | 82.7% | 78.2% |
| Ontario | 84.6% | 79.1% |
| Canada | 84.7% | 78.6% |
| United States | 75% | 64% |
| United Kingdom | 78% | 72% |
| Germany | 76% | 74% |
| France | 80% | 77% |
| Italy | 83% | 76% |
| Japan | 80% | 79% |
| World | 63% | 53% |
Total doses administered in Niagara: 712,721
New daily doses administered to Niagara residents: 955
Last updated: October 8, 2021
Data are drawn from Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data project.
Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses. Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.
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Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
