Labour force activity

Part A - Plain language definition
Not applicable

Part B - Detailed definition
Refers to the labour market activity of the population 15 years of age and over in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006). Respondents were classified as Employed, Unemployed, or Not in the labour force. The labour force includes the employed and the unemployed.

Labour force

Part A - Plain language definition:
Not applicable

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

Employed

Part A - Plain language definition
Not applicable

Part B - Detailed definition
Persons who, during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006):
(a) did any work at all for pay or in self-employment or without pay in a family farm, business or professional practice
(b) 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

Part A - Plain language definition
Not applicable

Part B - Detailed definition
Persons who, during the 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:
(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.

Not in the labour force

Part A - Plain language definition
Not applicable

Part B - Detailed definition
Refers to persons who, in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 16, 2006), were neither employed nor unemployed. It includes students, homemakers, retired workers, seasonal workers in an 'off' season who were not looking for work, and persons who could not work because of a long term illness or disability.