February 15, 2024 – January declines in Ontario full time and private sector jobs contributed to a continued jobs slide that has eliminated 233,300 jobs since July, according to Statistics Canada data released last Friday.
The continued jobs losses come as labour force participation edges down among Ontario’s growing population.
329,800 full times jobs lost
Continued losses in January bring the total number of full time jobs lost since July to 329,800, according to the statistical agency.
Ontario’s levels of part time employment reached a historic high last month.
Adjusted for seasonality, Ontario’s participation rate fell to 64.8 per cent as more people stopped looking for work, allowing the unemployment rate to decline 0.1 per cent.
Private sector job cuts since July reach 282,000
During this jobs downturn, 282,000 private sector jobs have disappeared.
In January 2024, after the usual summer increase, there were 8,400 fewer Ontarians working in construction than January 2023.
Ontario desperately needs more construction workers on the job to build housing and balance the housing ownership and rental markets. Failure to spark more housing unit construction is putting upward pressure on rents and prices.
Manufacturing jobs continued to disappear in January and now total 47,700 lost jobs since July, signalling challenges for Ontario’s contribution to Canadian exports.
At $33.4 billion, Canadian exports to the U.S. now trail China, at $34.1 billion, and Mexico, at $36.3 billion, according to U.S. Commerce Department data released February 7.
Almost 100,000 private sector union jobs gone since July
Ontario’s loss of full time jobs and jobs in construction and manufacturing have contributed to a sudden loss of unionized positions in Ontario’s private sector.
In January there were 95,000 fewer unionized private sector jobs than July, risking lower bargaining power for workers during a time of rising prices.
Health care and social services jobs down 20,000
January job losses in health care and social services were smaller than in construction or manufacturing, but now bring the total job loss in the sector to 20,000 since July.
Losses in the sector come despite the province’s urgent need to better recruit and retain health care workers. Tens of thousands of unfillable health care positions have roiled Ontario’s health care services, causing a cascade of problems including hallway medicine, overflowing emergency rooms and longer wait lists for surgery and long term care.
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