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Labour Statistics: Technical Papers

Measuring Employment and Unemployment in Canada and the United States–A Comparison

Appendix 3
Measuring employment and unemployment in Canada and the United States:  A summary comparison

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Table A3
Measuring employment and unemployment in Canada and the United States: A summary comparison
Table summary
This table displays the results of Measuring Employment and Unemployment in Canada and the United States: A Summary Comparison Statistics Canada and United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (appearing as column headers).
  Statistics Canada United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
Source of official monthly figures:  
  • national employment
  • Labour Force Survey (LFS)
  • Current Employment Statistics (CES) ProgramNote 1
  • national unemployment
  • Labour Force Survey
  • Current Population Survey (CPS)
  • employment by major region
  • Labour Force Survey
  • Current Employment Statistics Program
  • employment by industry
  • Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH)/Labour Force Survey
  • Current Employment Statistics Program
  • demographic and social characteristics
  • Labour Force Survey
  • Current Population Survey
Timeliness of monthly official figures: From the end of the reference month, generally: From the end of the reference month, generally:
  • national employment
  • one week
  • one week
  • national unemployment
  • one week
  • one week
  • employment by major region
  • one week
  • three weeks
  • employment by industry
  •  one week (broad industry group from LFS- national, provincial and territorial)
  • one week (national)
  • two months (detailed industry from SEPH - national, major region)
  • three weeks (major region)
  • demographic and social characteristics
  • one week
  • one week
Age The official employment and unemployment estimates (LFS) include individuals aged 15 and over. CES employment data have no age limit. CPS estimates of employment and unemployment include individuals aged 16 and over.
Authority to collect information Canadian Statistics Act. U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). More specifically for the CPS, Congress Title 13, USC Section 182 and Title 29, USC Sections 1-9.
Mandatory and voluntary LFS and SEPH are both mandatory. CPS is voluntary; CES is mandatory in four states.
Revisions to employment statistics programs:  
  • household surveys
  • Annual revisions to seasonal adjustment models;
  • Annual revisions to seasonal adjustment models;
  • adjustments to population estimates every five years to quinquennial census;
  • possible revisions if there are large adjustments to population estimates from decennial census;
  • business statistics programs
  • monthly revisions to more recent figures, annual revisions to seasonal adjustment models and certain industry series, and periodic updates to international industry and occupation classifications.
  • monthly revisions to more recent figures, annual benchmarking to Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and periodic updates to international industry and occupation classifications.
Sample size:  
  • household surveys
  • LFS: 56,000 (about one in 240 Canadian households).
  • CPS: 60,000 eligible housing units, also referred to as households (about one in 2,000 American households).
  • business statistics programs
  • SEPH (employment estimate component):
    Census of all payroll establishments from Payroll Deductions administrative file.
  • CES Program:
    Survey component:
    588,000 establishments (about one in 15 establishments)
    Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages benchmark component:
    98% of payroll establishments.
Note:
LFS: Labour Force Survey
SEPH: Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours
CPS: Current Population Survey
CES: Current Employment Statistics Program
Note 1

Though not the source of official national figures, the Current Population Survey also measures national employment using a broader, more comprehensive measure than the Current Employment Statistics program.

Return to note 1 referrer
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