LFS data are used to produce the well-known unemployment rate as well as other standard labour market indicators such as the employment rate and the participation rate. The LFS also provides employment estimates by industry, occupation, public and private sector, hours worked and much more, all cross-classifiable by a variety of demographic characteristics. Estimates are produced for Canada, the provinces, the territories and a large number of sub-provincial regions. For employees, data on wage rates, union status, job permanency and establishment size are also produced.
These data are used by different levels of government for evaluation and planning of employment programs in Canada. Regional unemployment rates are used by Employment and Social Development Canada to determine eligibility, level and duration of insurance benefits for persons living within a particular employment insurance region. The data are also used by labour market analysts, economists, consultants, planners, forecasters and academics in both the private and public sector.
Labour force survey data was revised in early 2023
Labour force surveys are revised over time, either to adopt the most recent geography, industry and occupation classifications; to take advantage of recent observations to fine-tune seasonal adjustment factors; or to introduce methodological enhancements.
If you require an older version of the LFS for the purposes of reproducibility, please use Versions tab to find an older version of the data set.
For details of the revisions, please see the PDF document with the documentation or the documentation on the Statistics Canada website at https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71f0031x/71f0031x2023001-eng.htm.
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Most estimates associated with the labour market are subject to seasonal variation; that is, annually-recurring fluctuations attributable to climate and regular institutional events such as vacations and holiday seasons. Seasonal adjustment is used to remove seasonal variations from almost 3,000 series in the LFS in order to facilitate analysis of short-term change for major indicators such as employment and unemployment by age and sex, employment by industry and employment by class of worker (public and private employees or self-employed). Many of these indicators are seasonally adjusted at national and provincial levels. Main labour force status estimates are also seasonally adjusted for census metropolitan areas (CMAs), and published as three-month moving averages to reduce irregular movements caused by relatively small sample sizes. The method being used for seasonal adjustment is X-12-ARIMA.
At the start of each year, the Labour Force Survey revises its estimates for the previous three years, using the latest seasonal factors.
Adjustments are also made to LFS data every five years after new population estimates become available following the most recent census. At that time, all LFS data back to the previous census is re-weighted using the new population estimates (since the new population estimates will cover the inter-censal period between the two most recent censuses), and all corresponding historical LFS estimates are revised. Generally, the introduction of the latest classification systems for industry, occupation and geography, along with other changes, occur at this time.
As of January 2015, LFS estimates have been adjusted to reflect population counts from the 2011 Census, adjusted for net undercoverage, with revisions going back to 2001. For more information, see "The 2015 Revisions of the Labour Force Survey (LFS)" (71F0031X).
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a monthly household survey of a sample of individuals who are representative of the civilian, non-institutionalized population 15 years of age or older. It is conducted nationwide, in both the provinces and the territories.
This is a sample survey with a cross-sectional design.
The LFS uses a probability sample that is based on a stratified multi-stage design. Each province is divided into large geographic stratum. The first stage of sampling consists of selecting smaller geographic areas, called clusters, from within each stratum. The second stage of sampling consists of selecting dwellings from within each selected cluster.
The LFS uses a rotating panel sample design so that selected dwellings remain in the LFS sample for six consecutive months. Each month about one-sixth of the LFS sampled dwellings are in their first month of the survey, one-sixth are in their second month of the survey, and so on. One feature of the LFS sample design is that each of the six rotation groups can be used as a representative sample by itself.
Within selected dwellings, basic demographic information is collected for all household members. Labour force information is collected for all civilian household members who are aged 15 and over.
The sample is allocated to provinces and to strata within provinces in the way that best meets the need for reliable estimates at various geographic levels.
Recently, the monthly LFS sample size has been approximately 56,000 households, resulting in the collection of labour market information for approximately 100,000 individuals. It should be noted that the LFS sample size is subject to change from time to time in order to meet data quality or budget requirements.
Responding to this survey is mandatory.
Data are collected directly from survey respondents.
Responses to survey questions are captured directly by the interviewer at the time of the interview, using a computerized questionnaire on a laptop or desktop computer. The response data are encrypted to ensure confidentiality and sent electronically to appropriate Statistics Canada Regional Office. From there, they are transmitted over a secure line to head office in Ottawa for further processing.
LFS interviews are conducted by telephone in English or French by interviewers working out of a regional office CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview) site or by personal visit from a field interviewer.
All LFS interviewers are under the supervision of senior interviewers who are responsible for ensuring that their staff are familiar with survey concepts and procedures, as well as periodically monitoring their interviews.
Information about all household members is usually obtained from one knowledgeable household member. Such 'proxy' reporting accounts for approximately 65% of the information collected.
Respondents are in the survey for six months. The birth interview takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The subsequent five interviews take about 10 to 12 minutes to complete.
The sample data are weighted to enable tabulations of estimates at national, provincial, and sub-provincial levels of aggregation.
The sample design determines a certain number of weighting factors to be used in the calculation of the individual weights. The main component is the inverse of the probability of selection, known as the basic weight. For example, in an area where 2% of the households are sampled, each household would be assigned a basic weight of 1/.02=50. The basic weight is then adjusted for any sub-sampling due to growth that may have occurred in the area. This weight is then adjusted for non-response and coverage error.
In the LFS, some survey non-response is compensated for by imputation: carry forward, substitution or donor imputation methods. Any remaining non-response is accounted for by adjusting the weights for the responding households in the same area. This non-response adjustment assumes that the characteristics of the responding households are not significantly different from the non-responding households.
The weights derived after the non-response adjustments are called the subweights. The final adjustment to the weight is made to correct for coverage errors. The subweights are adjusted so that the survey estimates of population conform to control totals. These final weights are used in the LFS tabulations.
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