Latest news with #StatCan
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Canadian population growth continued to slow with almost no increase in Q1: StatCan
OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says population growth stalled in the first quarter. The agency says the Canadian population rose by 20,107 people from Jan. 1 to April 1 to 41,548,787, the smallest increase since the third quarter of 2020 when it contracted by 1,232 people. The increase was so small that it amounted to effectively no growth, StatCan said. 'This was the second-slowest quarterly growth rate in Canada since comparable records began (first quarter of 1946), behind only the third quarter of 2020 and tied with the fourth quarter of 2014,' the agency said in its release Wednesday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW It was the sixth consecutive quarter of slower population growth after a decision by the federal government in 2024 to lower the levels of both temporary and permanent immigration. However, immigration still accounted for all of the population growth in the quarter as there were 5,628 more deaths than births in Canada. Canada admitted 104,256 immigrants in the first quarter of 2025, while net emigration totalled 17,410. Meanwhile, the number of non-permanent residents dropped by 61,111. While the rate of population growth slowed during the first quarter, Statistics Canada said immigration levels remain high, though comparatively lower than in recent years. The agency said it was the smallest number of immigrants admitted during a first quarter in four years. 'However, prior to 2022, Canada had never welcomed more than 86,246 immigrants in a first quarter (which occurred in the first quarter of 2016),' the agency said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW In October of last year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada released information on its 2025-27 Immigration Levels Plan, which included targets for international students and temporary foreign workers for the first time. 'In recent years, Canada welcomed newcomers to support our economy and address labour market needs. As we move away from post-pandemic measures, there is a need to better align temporary and permanent resident immigration levels with community capacity,' the federal government said at the time. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.
Toronto Sun
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Toronto Sun
Manufacturing sales in April see biggest monthly drop since 2023 amid U.S. tariffs
Published Jun 13, 2025 • 1 minute read Honda employees work along the vehicle assembly line before an event announcing plans for a Honda electric vehicle battery plant in Alliston, Ont., Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales fell 2.8 per cent in April, the largest monthly drop since October 2023, as the tariff dispute with the United States hit the industry. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account StatCan says manufacturing sales stand at their lowest level since January 2022 after a second straight monthly drop. Drops in sales of petroleum and coal products (down 10.9 per cent), motor vehicles (down 8.3 per cent) and primary metals (down 4.4 per cent) drove the decline. While the trade war kicked off in March, April marked the first full month of tariffs from the United States in many sectors _ particularly targetting Canada's steel, aluminum and automotive industries. Roughly half of manufacturers surveyed by StatCan say they were being affected by tariffs in some form in April, as did 43 per cent of wholesalers. A separate release from StatCan says wholesale sales fell 2.3 per cent in April with the motor vehicles, parts and accessories subsector leading the drop. Sunshine Girls Columnists Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA World
Toronto Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Ottawa moves to prop up youth employment in a rough summer jobs market
OTTAWA - The federal government is moving to shore up a historically weak summer job market for students — even as one economist argues tough employment prospects for young people suggest broader softness in the job market. Statistics Canada shone a light on the difficult employment prospects for students heading back to school this fall in its May jobs report last Friday. Roughly one in five returning students aged 15 to 24 was unemployed in May, the agency said. The last time the jobless rate for students was this high outside the pandemic was in May 2009. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Also on Friday, the federal government announced an expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs program, which offers wage subsidies to businesses hiring young people for seasonal work. Ottawa says it plans to subsidize an additional 6,000 jobs on top of the 70,000 already planned for employers participating in the annual program. Employment and Social Development Canada, which runs the Canada Summer Jobs program, will pay for the extra positions with $25 million in reallocated internal funding. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said in a media statement that the higher target is meant 'to address the urgent needs youth are experiencing in the job market.' StatCan said the jobless rate for returning students has trended up annually each May since 2022, when just over 10 per cent of returning students were unemployed in a relatively tight labour market. Brendon Bernard, senior economist at the online jobs board Indeed, said the summer labour market is 'pretty weak right now.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'But the weakness is wrapped up in broader economic trends,' he said. 'Targeted youth policies are only going to be dealing with one of the symptoms of the problem, where there are other aspects of the labour market that … we need to get in better shape for the situation to really improve.' Canada's broader unemployment rate also has been rising in recent years, ticking up to seven per cent in May. A major disruption in the labour market tied to Canada's trade war with the United States could be denying young people early work experience, Bernard said. He pointed to recent job losses in sectors like manufacturing as a particular problem for border towns that rely heavily on trade between Canada and the United States. Younger Canadians who had hoped to break into the manufacturing sector in those regions are now seeing opportunities dry up, Bernard said, and they're likely being pushed to other opportunities outside their field — crowding the job market for all youth this summer. The national vacancy rate — the share of jobs left unfilled compared to all available positions in Canada — stands at three per cent, according to the latest available data from March. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Such a low vacancy rate suggests reduced hiring demand among businesses, or indicates that they're having little to no trouble filling jobs. Employer demand for the Summer Jobs Program is lower this year than in previous years, data provided by ESDC shows. The department received 44,821 requests from businesses for funding to support 225,766 jobs during the application period late last year. That's roughly 2,000 fewer applications and almost 9,000 fewer jobs than in each of the previous two years. Bernard said youth unemployment is higher today than in 2019 — the last time Canada's vacancy rate was roughly this low. That suggests there's more slack building up in the younger end of the labour pool, he said. 'Something has hit the youth labour market differently than the labour market for older workers,' Bernard said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW One explanation could be recent population growth trends that saw a surge in mostly younger workers entering Canada over the past few years, he said. But Bernard also said a lack of mobility among older Canadian workers is creating a 'traffic jam' in the labour market. 'Another potential factor that has impacted youth employment recently is just how slow job-switching has been,' he said. The rate of job changes in May was 0.46 per cent, Bernard said — a third lower than it was in 2019. In a strong job market, Bernard said, you would normally see workers changing jobs and moving up the career ladder, leaving entry-level positions to younger workers who need the experience. He said that government efforts to support the youth workforce are likely to fall short because the plight of younger job-seekers is tied to broader conditions in the labour market. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Hajdu acknowledged in her statement that governments 'can't do it alone.' 'Programs like this open the door, but it's employers, community leaders and organizations who help young people walk through it,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. 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Global News
11-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
Feds extend summer job program amidst high youth unemployment
The federal government is moving to shore up a historically weak summer job market for students — even as one economist argues tough employment prospects for young people suggest broader softness in the job market. Statistics Canada shone a light on the difficult employment prospects for students heading back to school this fall in its May jobs report last Friday. Roughly one in five returning students aged 15 to 24 was unemployed in May, the agency said. The last time the jobless rate for students was this high outside the pandemic was in May 2009. Also on Friday, the federal government announced an expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs program, which offers wage subsidies to businesses hiring young people for seasonal work. Ottawa says it plans to subsidize an additional 6,000 jobs on top of the 70,000 already planned for employers participating in the annual program. Story continues below advertisement Employment and Social Development Canada, which runs the Canada Summer Jobs program, will pay for the extra positions with $25 million in reallocated internal funding. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said in a media statement that the higher target is meant 'to address the urgent needs youth are experiencing in the job market.' StatCan said the jobless rate for returning students has trended up annually each May since 2022, when just over 10 per cent of returning students were unemployed in a relatively tight labour market. Brendon Bernard, senior economist at the online jobs board Indeed, said the summer labour market is 'pretty weak right now.' 1:37 StatsCan data shows national labour market stalled in April 'But the weakness is wrapped up in broader economic trends,' he said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Targeted youth policies are only going to be dealing with one of the symptoms of the problem, where there are other aspects of the labour market that … we need to get in better shape for the situation to really improve.' Story continues below advertisement Canada's broader unemployment rate also has been rising in recent years, ticking up to seven per cent in May. A major disruption in the labour market tied to Canada's trade war with the United States could be denying young people early work experience, Bernard said. He pointed to recent job losses in sectors like manufacturing as a particular problem for border towns that rely heavily on trade between Canada and the United States. Younger Canadians who had hoped to break into the manufacturing sector in those regions are now seeing opportunities dry up, Bernard said, and they're likely being pushed to other opportunities outside their field — crowding the job market for all youth this summer. The national vacancy rate — the share of jobs left unfilled compared to all available positions in Canada — stands at three per cent, according to the latest available data from March. Such a low vacancy rate suggests reduced hiring demand among businesses, or indicates that they're having little to no trouble filling jobs. Employer demand for the Summer Jobs Program is lower this year than in previous years, data provided by ESDC shows. The department received 44,821 requests from businesses for funding to support 225,766 jobs during the application period late last year. That's roughly 2,000 fewer applications and almost 9,000 fewer jobs than in each of the previous two years. Story continues below advertisement Bernard said youth unemployment is higher today than in 2019 — the last time Canada's vacancy rate was roughly this low. That suggests there's more slack building up in the younger end of the labour pool, he said. 'Something has hit the youth labour market differently than the labour market for older workers,' Bernard said. One explanation could be recent population growth trends that saw a surge in mostly younger workers entering Canada over the past few years, he said. But Bernard also said a lack of mobility among older Canadian workers is creating a 'traffic jam' in the labour market. 'Another potential factor that has impacted youth employment recently is just how slow job-switching has been,' he said. The rate of job changes in May was 0.46 per cent, Bernard said — a third lower than it was in 2019. In a strong job market, Bernard said, you would normally see workers changing jobs and moving up the career ladder, leaving entry-level positions to younger workers who need the experience. He said that government efforts to support the youth workforce are likely to fall short because the plight of younger job-seekers is tied to broader conditions in the labour market. Story continues below advertisement Hajdu acknowledged in her statement that governments 'can't do it alone.' 'Programs like this open the door, but it's employers, community leaders and organizations who help young people walk through it,' she said.
National Observer
11-06-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Ottawa will prop up youth employment in a rough summer jobs market
The federal government is moving to shore up a historically weak summer job market for students — even as one economist argues tough employment prospects for young people suggest broader softness in the job market. Statistics Canada shone a light on the difficult employment prospects for students heading back to school this fall in its May jobs report last Friday. Roughly one in five returning students aged 15 to 24 was unemployed in May, the agency said. The last time the jobless rate for students was this high outside the pandemic was in May 2009. Also on Friday, the federal government announced an expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs program, which offers wage subsidies to businesses hiring young people for seasonal work. Ottawa says it plans to subsidize an additional 6,000 jobs on top of the 70,000 already planned for employers participating in the annual program. Employment and Social Development Canada, which runs the Canada Summer Jobs program, will pay for the extra positions with $25 million in reallocated internal funding. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said in a media statement that the higher target is meant "to address the urgent needs youth are experiencing in the job market." StatCan said the jobless rate for returning students has trended up annually each May since 2022, when just over 10 per cent of returning students were unemployed in a relatively tight labour market. Brendon Bernard, senior economist at the online jobs board Indeed, said the summer labour market is "pretty weak right now." 'But the weakness is wrapped up in broader economic trends," he said. "Targeted youth policies are only going to be dealing with one of the symptoms of the problem, where there are other aspects of the labour market that … we need to get in better shape for the situation to really improve." Canada's broader unemployment rate also has been rising in recent years, ticking up to seven per cent in May. A major disruption in the labour market tied to Canada's trade war with the United States could be denying young people early work experience, Bernard said. He pointed to recent job losses in sectors like manufacturing as a particular problem for border towns that rely heavily on trade between Canada and the United States. Younger Canadians who had hoped to break into the manufacturing sector in those regions are now seeing opportunities dry up, Bernard said, and they're likely being pushed to other opportunities outside their field — crowding the job market for all youth this summer. The national vacancy rate — the share of jobs left unfilled compared to all available positions in Canada — stands at three per cent, according to the latest available data from March. Such a low vacancy rate suggests reduced hiring demand among businesses, or indicates that they're having little to no trouble filling jobs. Employer demand for the Summer Jobs Program is lower this year than in previous years, data provided by ESDC shows. The department received 44,821 requests from businesses for funding to support 225,766 jobs during the application period late last year. That's roughly 2,000 fewer applications and almost 9,000 fewer jobs than in each of the previous two years. Bernard said youth unemployment is higher today than in 2019 — the last time Canada's vacancy rate was roughly this low. That suggests there's more slack building up in the younger end of the labour pool, he said. "Something has hit the youth labour market differently than the labour market for older workers," Bernard said. One explanation could be recent population growth trends that saw a surge in mostly younger workers entering Canada over the past few years, he said. But Bernard also said a lack of mobility among older Canadian workers is creating a "traffic jam" in the labour market. "Another potential factor that has impacted youth employment recently is just how slow job-switching has been," he said. The rate of job changes in May was 0.46 per cent, Bernard said — a third lower than it was in 2019. In a strong job market, Bernard said, you would normally see workers changing jobs and moving up the career ladder, leaving entry-level positions to younger workers who need the experience. He said that government efforts to support the youth workforce are likely to fall short because the plight of younger job-seekers is tied to broader conditions in the labour market. Hajdu acknowledged in her statement that governments "can't do it alone." "Programs like this open the door, but it's employers, community leaders and organizations who help young people walk through it," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.
