The labor force data released by Statistics Canada last week sheds light on the number of people in Toronto.

The report shows that there were 317,200 people without jobs in Toronto in May, representing one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 7.9 percent. This number reflects a jump of 0.2 percent from April and an increase of 1.9 percent—or 83,800 unemployed people—year over year.

The unemployment rate in Toronto is surpassed only by cities like Windsor (8.5) and Calgary (8.1).

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the unemployment rate of 7.2 percent is lower than the peak of July 2020 last month, but still above the long-term average.

In Toronto and across Canada, where the overall unemployment rate is 6.2 percent, the report noted that job seekers are also taking part-time jobs in the absence of full-time work, which is known as the involuntary part-time rate. Statistics Canada reported that this rate reached 18.2 percent in May, up from 15.4 percent in the past 12 months.

CREA stated that there were 10,500 more full-time jobs in Toronto in May compared to the month before and 10,600 part-time jobs, resulting in a total increase of 21,100 jobs. However, CREA noted that full-time employment decreased to 26,000 jobs from the peak in July 2023, but it was at 37,100 jobs in January 2024.