Labour Force Participation Over Time
Definition
Percentage of the population (age 15 years and older) in the labour force (employed or actively seeking employment).
The labour force participation rate refers to the percentage of the total population age 15 years and over in the labour force. It includes both people who are employed and people who are unemployed according to the definitions below.
Measurement and Limitations
‘Employed person’ refers to those who, during the period being considered: (a) Did any work at all at a job or business, that is, paid work in the context of an employer-employee relationship, or self-employment. This also includes persons who did unpaid family work, which is defined as unpaid work contributing directly to the operation of a farm, business or professional practice owned and operated by a related member of the same household; or (b) Had a job but were not at work due to factors such as their own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities, vacation or a labour dispute. This category excludes persons not at work because they were on layoff or between casual jobs, and those who did not then have a job (even if they had a job to start at a future date) (https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/dict/az/Definition-eng.cfm?ID=pop028).
‘Unemployed person’ refers to those who were without paid work or without self-employment work and were available for work and either: (a) had actively looked for paid work in the past four weeks; or (b) were on temporary lay-off and expected to return to their job; or (c) had definite arrangements to start a new job in four weeks or less (https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/dict/az/Definition-eng.cfm?ID=pop124).
Source
Customized Census data, “Table 4 – Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by sex and age group for Canada, provinces, economic regions and census metropolitan areas, 2006 to 2023, annual averages” acquired through the Canadian Community Economic Development Network’s Community Data Program.
Labour Force Participation Over Time in the Sustainable Development Goals
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8. Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Roughly half the world’s population still lives on the equivalent of about US$2 a day. And in too many places, having a job doesn’t guarantee the ability to escape from poverty. This slow and uneven progress requires us to rethink and retool our economic and social policies aimed at eradicating poverty.
A continued lack of decent work opportunities, insufficient investments and under-consumption lead to an erosion of the basic social contract underlying democratic societies: that all must share in progress. The creation of quality jobs will remain a major challenge for almost all economies well beyond 2015.
Sustainable economic growth will require societies to create the conditions that allow people to have quality jobs that stimulate the economy while not harming the environment. Job opportunities and decent working conditions are also required for the whole working age population.