Economic Indicator Series Part 3 of 5 – Employment: Concepts, Measurement & Labour-Market Indicators

This presentation is Part 3 of the 5-part Economic Indicators Series presented by Dr. Jason Dean, an economist who received a BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, an MA in Economics from the University of Guelph and a PhD in Economics from McGill University, and who teaches macroeconomics, microeconomics, applied econometrics and labour economics.

It provides a practical framework for interpreting employment data beyond the headline unemployment rate, covering Canadian and U.S. labour-force surveys, classification rules, participation and employment rates, payrolls, underemployment, discouraged workers, jobless claims, vacancies, hiring, separations, wage growth, productivity and unit labour costs. The presentation also distinguishes cyclical, structural, frictional and seasonal unemployment and shows how labour-market indicators influence inflation expectations, central-bank policy, business conditions and financial markets. Although it does not address a specific legal framework or case law, it offers legal and business professionals’ valuable context for evaluating workforce trends, wage pressures, employment conditions, client risk and broader economic developments.