Thank you.
Good afternoon. My name is Tracey Leesti, and I'm director of the labour statistics division at Statistics Canada. I'm joined by Josée Bégin, director for the centre for education statistics; Marc Lachance, assistant director, labour statistics division; and Kathryn McMullen, chief of education matters and integrated analysis at Statistics Canada.
We'd like to thank the committee for the opportunity to speak to you today about the data relevant for your studies on labour shortages in high-demand occupations and understanding labour shortages.
While at Statistics Canada we do not generally calculate current or future occupational labour shortages—that work is usually left to external analysts, including provincial and federal governments—we are the primary data provider of key data sources on the Canadian labour market that can be used to assess labour market conditions, as well as observe certain aspects of supply and demand.
Data on employment, unemployment, wages, and job vacancies can be evaluated to assess the existence of, or potential for, a shortage, as well as to corroborate anecdotal reports of employers' difficulties in filling jobs. Data on enrolment and graduation can also identify a potential source for filling unmet demand.
There are a number of data sources available at Statistics Canada. The monthly labour force survey produces timely information about employment, unemployment, labour force participation, wages, as well as demographic information. The monthly survey of employment, payrolls and hours provides detailed industry and earnings information for payroll employees. There's also new data on job vacancies, as well as data on enrolment and graduation.
A picture of the labour market over time allows for an evaluation of changes in demand and supply for a particular occupation. In the first graph you will see that relative to total employment in Canada, employment in professional, scientific, and technical services and in health care and social assistance has shown long-term, steady growth, even during the recession, indicating a likely rise in the demand for these occupations.
As well, in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas, following a decline in the labour market during the recent downturn, this industry has been expanding again, and employment is back to its pre-recession level. This recent growth in employment again signals labour demand within this industry.
The next slide looks at job vacancy. The number of unfilled vacancies provides another potential measure of unmet labour. This measure....
Sorry?