Canada's Changing Labour Force, 2006 Census: Definitions and notes

Labour force
Employed
Unemployed
Participation rate
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Industry
Occupation
Aboriginal identity
Registered or Treaty Indian
On-reserve population
Foreign-born population (also known as the immigrant population)
Recent immigrants
Major field of study (MFS)
Notes to reader

Labour force

Refers to persons who were either employed or unemployed during the reference week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006). Labour force = Employed + Unemployed.

Employed

Persons who, during the reference week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006):

1. did any work at all for pay or in self-employment or without pay in a family farm, business or professional practice
2. were absent from their job or business, with or without pay, for the entire week because of a vacation, an illness, a labour dispute at their place of work, or any other reasons.

Unemployed

Persons who, during the reference week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006), were without paid work or without self-employment work and were available for work and either:

1. had actively looked for paid work in the past four weeks; or
2. were on temporary lay-off and expected to return to their job; or
3. had definite arrangements to start a new job in four weeks or less.

Participation rate

The labour force participation rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, geographic area, etc.) is the total labour force in that group, expressed as a percentage of the total population, in that particular group.

Employment rate

The employment rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, geographic area, etc.) is the number of persons employed in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006), expressed as a percentage of the total population, in that particular group.

Unemployment rate

The unemployment rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, geographic area, etc.) is the unemployed in that group, expressed as a percentage of the labour force in that group, in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006).

Industry

Refers to the general nature of the business carried out in the establishment where the person worked. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration (May 16, 2006), the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were required to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.

Occupation

Refers to the kind of work persons were doing during the reference week, as determined by their kind of work and the description of the main activities in their job. If the person did not have a job during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to enumeration (May 16, 2006), the data relate to the job of longest duration since January 1, 2005. Persons with two or more jobs were to report the information for the job at which they worked the most hours.

Aboriginal identity

Refers to those persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian, as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation.

Registered or Treaty Indian

Refers to those persons who reported they were registered under the Indian Act of Canada. Treaty Indians are persons who are registered under the Indian Act and can prove descent from a band that signed a treaty.

On-reserve population

The 'on-reserve' population is defined according to criteria established by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). On reserve population includes all people living in the following census subdivision (CSD) types or communities affiliated with First Nations or Indian bands: Indian reserve / Réserve Indienne (IRI), Indian settlement / Établissement indien (S-É), Indian Government District (IGD), Terres réservées aux Cris (TC), Terres réservées aux Naskapis (TK), Nisga'a village (NVL), Nisga'a land (NL) and Teslin land (TL), as well as selected CSDs of various other types that are northern communities in Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory, which have large concentrations of Registered Indians. All other CSDs are considered to be 'off reserve.'

Foreign-born population (also known as the immigrant population)

Defined in the 2006 Census as persons who are, or who have been, landed immigrants in Canada. In this analysis, the foreign-born population does not include non-permanent residents, who are persons in Canada on employment or student authorizations, or are refugee claimants. The foreign-born population also excludes persons born outside Canada who are Canadian citizens by birth. The latter are considered part of the Canadian-born or non-immigrant population.

Recent immigrants

Refer to landed immigrants who came to Canada up to five years prior to a given census year. For the 2006 Census, recent immigrants are landed immigrants who arrived in Canada between January 1, 2001 and Census Day, May 16, 2006. Similarly, recent immigrants in the 2001 Census were newcomers at the time of the 2001 Census, i.e., they came to Canada between January 1, 1996 and Census Day, May 15, 2001.

Major field of study (MFS)

Refers to the predominant discipline or area of learning or training of a person's highest postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree. The major field of study classification structure consists of 10 broad or major categories: educational, recreational and counselling services; fine and applied arts; humanities and related fields; social sciences and related fields; commerce, management and business administration; agricultural, biological, nutritional, and food sciences; engineering and applied sciences; applied science technologies and trades; health professions and related technologies; and mathematics, computer and physical sciences. This structure is, in turn, subdivided into over 100 'minor' classification categories and about 980 'unit' groups.