Employment by status in Canada
Canada: Employment by status was 87.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Employment by status in Canada, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment by status in Canada is 87.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Canada peaked at 87.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 82.8%, in 1998.
Canada ranks 31st of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Employment by status in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 85.3% | — |
| 1992 | 84.9% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 84.3% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 84.5% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 84.3% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 83.8% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 82.9% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 82.8% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 83.0% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 83.9% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 84.7% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 84.8% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 84.6% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 84.6% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 84.4% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 84.7% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 84.6% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 84.6% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 84.1% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 84.5% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 84.7% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 84.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 84.8% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 85.0% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 85.0% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 85.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 85.1% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 84.9% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 85.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 84.8% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 86.0% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 86.5% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 86.8% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 87.0% | +0.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 87.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 86.7%, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 84.0% | 82.8% | 85.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 84.5% | 83.9% | 84.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.9% | 84.5% | 85.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 86.2% | 84.8% | 87.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by status in Canada?
- Employment by status in Canada was 87.0% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 87.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.8% in 1998.
- How does Canada rank for employment by status?
- Canada ranks 31st out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.