Canada: unit labor cost by industry 2024| ��ƽ��

Unit labor costs in Canada in 2024, by industry (in Canadian dollars per unit of real GDP)

Industry	Unit labor cost in Canadian dollars per unit of real GDP
Non-profit institutions	1.12
Accommodation and food services	1.03
Other private services	1.01
Government sector	0.98
Construction	0.95
Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services	0.94
Professional, scientific and technical services	0.92
Educational services	0.91
Retail trade	0.87
Arts, entertainment and recreation	0.85
Transportation and warehousing	0.82
Health care and social assistance	0.82
Manufacturing	0.78
Wholesale trade	0.75
All industries	0.73
Finance and insurance and holding companies	0.72
Information and cultural industries	0.59
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	0.47
Utilities	0.45
Mining and oil and gas extraction	0.36
Real estate and rental and leasing	0.27

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Release date

May 2025

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Region

Canada

Survey time period

2024

Supplementary notes

Unit labor cost is defines as the labor cost per unit of output, and it equals labor compensation divided by real value added. It is also equal to the ratio of labor compensation per hour worked and labor productivity. Unit labor cost increases when labor compensation per hour worked increases more rapidly than labor productivity. It is widely used to measure long-term inflation pressures arising from wage growth.

Adapted from Statistics Canada, statcan.gc.ca, 2024. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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This statistic shows unit labor costs in Canada in 2024, distinguished by industry. In 2024, unit labor costs in the Canadian construction industry amounted to 0.95 Canadian dollars per unit of real GDP.

Labor Productivity

Labor productivity or workforce productivity is the measure of value added to the economy relative to the number of hours worked for production. It is most often measured as output per hour of labor. Labor productivity is a commonly used indicator of overall economic health, growth, and efficiency. Growth of productivity is of crucial influence on the standard of living in a society. Increased productivity should lead to higher salaries for workers as well as lower prices for consumers.

Labor productivity in the business sector in Canada increased by around 20 percent from 2000 to 2023, standing at 59.1 Canadian dollars added to the GDP per hour worked in 2023. The non-profit institutions were, by far, the most productive in 2023, adding 212.7 Canadian dollars to the GDP per hour worked.