Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021
Unemployed

Definition

Refers to persons who, during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021, were without paid work or without self‑employment work, 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.

Previously, in other census cycles, early enumeration was conducted in remote, isolated parts of the provinces and territories in the months leading up to the May enumeration. Because of COVID‑19, there was no early enumeration for the 2021 Census. Collection procedures–especially in collective dwellings and remote, northern, First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities–were redesigned to ensure the census was conducted in the best possible way, using a safe and secure approach.

Statistical unit(s)

• Person 15 years or over

Classification(s)

• Not applicable

Reported in

2021 and 2016 (25% sample); 2011^{Footnote 1} (30% sample); 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986 and 1981 (20% sample). For availability prior to 1981, please refer to the Labour force status row in Appendix 2.1.

Reported for

Population aged 15 years and over in private households

Question number(s)

Derived variable: Questions 38 to 42

Responses

Not applicable

Remarks

The 'Unemployed' category consists of persons who, during the week of May 2 to May 8, 2021, were without paid work, were available for work and had actively looked for paid work in the past four weeks.

There are two components of this category: persons who did not work during the reference week because they had been laid off from a job to which they expected to return, and persons who did not work during the reference week but had definite arrangements to start a new job in four weeks or less.

In both cases, the persons had to be available for work in the reference week. 'Availability for work', is based on the individual's responses to Question 41 ('Did this person look for paid work during the four weeks from April 11 to May 8, 2021?') and Question 42 ('Could this person have started a job during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021 had one been available?'), as well as Question 37 (school attendance).

For more information, see the definitions for Labour force status and Employed person variables.

See Figure 2.9 for the components of the population and the Labour force status variable.

For information on the comparability of the 2021 Census labour force status data with those of the Labour Force Survey, see Appendix 2.11.

Note(s)