Let's dive into the sub-provincial labour market data that was released on March 7, 2025 by Statistics Canada (Table: 14-10-0457-01).
This Data Dive focuses on understanding the newly added local areas and the variation in labour markets that exist within Newfoundland and Labrador.
Each blue line in the chart above represents the unemployment rate trend for a different labour market area in the province. Notice the bold black line representing the overall unemployment rate in NL. There are areas within the province that have a higher then average unemployment rate and those with a lower than average rate.
This helps show why sub-provincial data is critical for planning and local decision-making.
What's new and what's being measured?
Every month, Statistics Canada releases data from the Labour Force Survey which includes estimates of employment and unemployment. Historically, this data was only available for the province and the country. Now, Statistics Canada is publishing figures for local labour markets—this includes 48 regions in NL. Â
Available Statistics
Employment: number of persons who worked for pay or profit.Â
Unemployment rate: number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. Unemployed persons are those who were without work, had looked for work in the past four weeks, and were available for work.Â
Employment rate: employed persons expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and older.Â
Understanding Geography
Are some local labour markets more seasonal than others?
Some labour market areas have a high degree of seasonality in their unemployment and employment rates while others remain relatively stable throughout the year.Â
When is the next data release?
New sub-provincial labour market data will be published each month on Statistics Canada. You will find it posted on The Daily. Â
Below is a table of release dates:Â
