Quebec’s employment rate has exceeded Ontario’s since 2018 and the gap is widening in our favor. When it comes to employment, it is important that as many people as possible can work. The appropriate indicator is the employment rate, i.e. the proportion of 15 to 64 year olds who are employed.
In September 2018, just before the CAQ government took office, the employment rate in Quebec was 75.1% and in Ontario it was 73.2%. A gap of 1.9 percentage points is favorable for Quebec. As of October 2023, the employment rate in Quebec was 78.1% and in Ontario it was 74.2%. A gap of 3.9 percentage points is favorable for Quebec. This means Quebec surpasses Ontario in working-age population and the gap has more than doubled.
Another well-known indicator is the unemployment rate, i.e. the proportion of job seekers. In September 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.5% in Quebec and 5.9% in Ontario. As of October 2023, it was 4.9% in Quebec and 6.4% in Ontario. This means that since the CAQ government took office, the unemployment rate in Quebec has fallen while it has risen (very slightly) in Ontario.
Jobs created
Of course, if someone were to try to make Quebec look bad, they could point to the number of jobs created. In this regard, Ontario is unbeatable due to its massive population growth, primarily through immigration. However, if we put the numbers into perspective, a completely different picture emerges. From September 2018 to October 2023, Ontario’s labor force increased by 8.4%, but the number of jobs increased by only 7.9%. In Quebec, the labor force increased by 4.5%, but the number of jobs increased by 5.2%.
In summary, all indicators – employment rate, unemployment rate, job creation – show that Quebec has overtaken Ontario in terms of employment since the CAQ government came to power.
Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister for Economy, Innovation and Energy