Labour Statistics

at Statistics CanadaRIAL Workshop on

“Labour Migration and Labour Market Information Systems”

Geoff Bowlby

Labour Statistics Division, Statistics Canada

February 25, 2009

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Statistics Canada Labour Market Information

Many sources of LMI:• Labour Force Survey • Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours • Census• Employment Insurance• Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics• Labour Income (System of National Accounts)• Labour productivity estimates (System of National

Accounts)• Workplace and Employee Survey

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Statistics Canada LMI Conceptual Framework

In the labour force

UnemployedEmployed

Employees

Self-employed

Employing businesses

Jobs

Job vacancies

LABOUR DEMAND LABOUR SUPPLY (current)

Population(15+, in scope)

Not in labour force

LABOUR SUPPLY(potential)

SEPHWES

LFSCensusSLIDWES

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Use of current system

• Labour Force Survey One of the world’s largest surveys

• Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours Employment estimates based on a monthly census of

businesses

• Census of Population Covering 20% of the population, every 5 years

• Employment Insurance A monthly census of all EI records, for the LFS reference

week

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Limitations of current system

• Labour Force Survey Despite its size, cannot provide desired detail

• Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours Limited set of variables

• Census of Population Frequency, timeliness

• Employment Insurance Not all the unemployed, only one week of the month

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Gaps in current system

Many known gaps. Probably the largest are:• Lack of small domain estimates (sub-provincial, detailed

occupation data) for the intercensal period• No vacancy information• Employment quality data• Regular surveying of older workers

Other• Mass lay-off statistics • More regular, comprehensive EI stats program• LFS content, sample size• No coverage on-reserve

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Changes to the System

Labour Force Survey• No major plans for content• Possible move to internet collection• Possible collection on Siksika First Nation

Census Labour (2011)• Removal of unpaid work questions• Expansion of travel to work

More modes of transportation Duration of travel to work Car pooling

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Changes to the System

SEPH• Major improvement to wage and hours data• Expansion of analysis and dissemination