Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Canada
Canada: Employment by main economic activity - Regions was 20.17 million Persons in 2023. ▲ Rising
Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Canada, 1980–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.
Analysis
In 2023, employment by main economic activity - regions in Canada stood at 20.17 million Persons. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and up 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by main economic activity - regions in Canada peaked at 20.17 million Persons in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.94 million Persons, in 1982.
That places Canada 9th out of 43 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Canada, year by year
| Year | Persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.98 million Persons | — |
| 1981 | 11.30 million Persons | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 10.94 million Persons | -3.2% |
| 1983 | 11.02 million Persons | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 11.30 million Persons | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 11.66 million Persons | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 12.01 million Persons | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 12.33 million Persons | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 12.71 million Persons | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 13.00 million Persons | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 13.10 million Persons | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 12.87 million Persons | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 12.74 million Persons | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 12.80 million Persons | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 13.06 million Persons | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 13.30 million Persons | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 13.42 million Persons | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 13.71 million Persons | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 14.05 million Persons | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 14.40 million Persons | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 14.76 million Persons | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 14.93 million Persons | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 15.29 million Persons | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 15.66 million Persons | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 15.91 million Persons | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 16.12 million Persons | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 16.41 million Persons | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 16.76 million Persons | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 17.00 million Persons | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 16.76 million Persons | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 16.98 million Persons | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 17.24 million Persons | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 17.48 million Persons | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 17.71 million Persons | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 17.78 million Persons | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 17.91 million Persons | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 18.01 million Persons | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 18.39 million Persons | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 18.72 million Persons | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 19.12 million Persons | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 18.04 million Persons | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 18.94 million Persons | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 19.69 million Persons | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 20.17 million Persons | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.73 million Persons | 10.94 million Persons | 13.00 million Persons | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.34 million Persons | 12.74 million Persons | 14.40 million Persons | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.96 million Persons | 14.76 million Persons | 17.00 million Persons | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.93 million Persons | 16.98 million Persons | 19.12 million Persons | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.21 million Persons | 18.04 million Persons | 20.17 million Persons | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More economy & growth data for Canada
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.8812 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.66 Percent per annum (2029)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), annual growth rate 5.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.01 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GNI, Atlas method (current US$), per capita 56,420 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI (current US$), annual growth rate 3.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per unit of GDP 1 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GNI (current US$), per capita 55,759 current US$ per person (2025)
- GNI (current LCU), annual growth rate 6.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- GNI (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.4 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by main economic activity - regions in Canada?
- Employment by main economic activity - regions in Canada was 20.17 million Persons in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 20.17 million Persons in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.94 million Persons in 1982.
- How does Canada rank for employment by main economic activity - regions?
- Canada ranks 9th out of 43 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employment by main economic activity - regions rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Employment by main economic activity - Regions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This dataset provides indicators on employment by 10 broad activities and labour utilisation, in large regions (TL2) and small regions (TL3). Data source and definition Employment data is collected from Eurostat for EU countries and via delegates of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Indicators (WPTI), as well as from national statistical offices' websites. Employment is measured at place of work. Labour utilisation is measured by the number of employment at place of work per capita, for total activity. See the Regional data sources. Definition of regions Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). See the OECD Territorial grid. Use of economic data on small regions TL3 regions are grouped into typologies based on shared characteristics. For economic analysis, TL3 regions belonging to the same Functional Urban Area (FUA) with more than 250,000 inhabitants are aggregated into a single metropolitan region to reduce distortions from commuting. See the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table. Cite this dataset OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats. Further information OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance For questions and/or comments, please email RegionStat@oecd.org.