Manitoba Labour Market Information (LMI) by Region
Central
Key Indicators |
Major Communities |
Area Maps |
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Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM table 202-0122 |
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Note: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey combines data for the South Central and North Central Regions due to the small population and sample size in each region. This data does not include on-reserve populations.
Between 2012 and 2016, the working age population in the Central region increased by 4.1 per cent. Over the same period the labour force increased by 2,700 or 5.0 per cent, while the participation rate increased to 65.8, below the average for the province (67.6%).
In 2016, the unemployment rate in the Central region in Manitoba increased by 0.1 percentage points from the previous year and sat at 4.1 per cent, the lowest in the province.
Of the 53,900 persons employed in 2016, 43,000 persons or 79.8 per cent were in full-time positions.
Labour Force Characteristics (population 15 and over) - Central |
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|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
Population | 53,500 |
56,400 |
57,200 |
57,100 |
56,200 |
Labour force | 51,800 |
54,500 |
55,100 |
54,800 |
53,900 |
Employment | 41,700 |
42,400 |
44,800 |
44,700 |
43,000 |
Full-time employment | 10,100 |
12,200 |
10,200 |
10,100 |
10,900 |
Part-time employment | 1,700 |
1,800 |
2,200 |
2,300 |
2,300 |
Unemployment | 28,400 |
26,300 |
26,300 |
27,400 |
29,200 |
Not in labour force | 3,200 |
3,200 |
3,800 |
4,000 |
4,100 |
Unemployment rate (%) | 65.3 |
68.3 |
68.5 |
67.7 |
65.8 |
Participation Rate (%) | 63.2 |
66 |
66 |
64.9 |
63.1 |
Employment Rate (%) | 53.5 |
56.4 |
57.2 |
57.1 |
56.2 |
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM table 282-0123 |

In 2016, 53,900 people were employed in the Central region.
The occupation groups (NOC-S) employing the highest number of people in 2016 were:
- Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (9,500 people)
- Sales and service occupations (9,100 people)
- Management occupations (7,400 people)
Between 2012 and 2016, the occupation groups with the largest per cent change in employment were:
- Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (39.2%)
- Natural and applied sciences and related occupations (35.7%)
- Health occupations (23.7%)
Central – Employment by Occupational Groups (NOC-S, 2011) |
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2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Total employed, all occupations | 51,800 |
54,500 |
55,100 |
54,800 |
53,900 |
Management occupations | 8,100 |
8,400 |
8,100 |
8,300 |
7,400 |
Business, finance and administrative occupations | 5,700 |
5,900 |
6,300 |
6,600 |
6,300 |
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations | 1,400 |
1,500 |
2,100 |
1,700 |
1,900 |
Health occupations | 3,800 |
4,700 |
4,100 |
3,700 |
4,700 |
Occupations in social science, education, government service and religion | 5,100 |
5,800 |
6,400 |
6,300 |
7,100 |
Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport | 1,000 |
700 |
800 |
700 |
1,100 |
Sales and service occupations | 11,000 |
10,400 |
10,900 |
9,800 |
9,100 |
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations | 8,700 |
10,500 |
10,000 |
10,200 |
9,500 |
Occupations unique to primary industry | 2,400 |
3,000 |
2,700 |
2,400 |
2,300 |
Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities | 4,500 |
3,700 |
3,600 |
5,100 |
4,500 |
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM table 282-0157 |

In 2015, 64.4 per cent of people were employed in the service-producing sector compared to 35.6 per cent in the goods-producing sector.
The top three industries (NAICS) based on the number of people employed were:
- Health care and social; assistance (8,500 people)
- Manufacturing (8,300 people)
- Wholesale and Retail Trade (6,500 people)
Between 2012 and 2016, the industries with the largest per cent change increase in employment were:
- Professional, scientific and technical services (70.0%)
- Business, building and other support services (22.2%)
- Educational services (20.6%)
Central – Employment by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) |
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2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Total employed, all industries | 51,800 |
54,500 |
55,100 |
54,800 |
53,900 |
Goods-producing sector | 17,900 |
19,600 |
18,900 |
20,600 |
19,200 |
Agriculture | 6,600 |
7,600 |
6,600 |
6,900 |
6,400 |
Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas | x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Utilities | x |
500 |
600 |
x |
x |
Construction | 3,400 |
3,700 |
4,200 |
4,300 |
4,000 |
Manufacturing | 7,300 |
7,600 |
7,400 |
9,000 |
8,300 |
Services-producing sector | 33,900 |
3500 |
36,200 |
34,100 |
34,700 |
Wholesale and retail trade | 7,600 |
7,900 |
8,300 |
7,000 |
6,500 |
Transportation and warehousing | 2,700 |
3000 |
2,900 |
2,500 |
3,200 |
Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing | 1,700 |
1,800 |
2,100 |
1,900 |
1,900 |
Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,000 |
900 |
1,000 |
1,600 |
1,700 |
Business, building and other support services | 900 |
1,200 |
1,200 |
700 |
1,100 |
Educational services | 3,400 |
3,600 |
4,700 |
5,200 |
4,100 |
Health care and social assistance | 7,700 |
8,300 |
7,500 |
7,000 |
8,500 |
Information, culture and recreation | 1,200 |
900 |
1,100 |
1,300 |
1,100 |
Accommodation and food services | 2,800 |
2,700 |
2,600 |
2,500 |
2,300 |
Other services | 2,300 |
2,300 |
2,700 |
2,600 |
2,200 |
Public administration | 2,400 |
2,300 |
2,300 |
1,900 |
2,100 |
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM table 282-0125 | |||||
Note: X – Suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act |
* South Central and North Central have been combined in the Statistics Canada tables

Statistic Canada’s Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS) estimates the number of payroll employees in the South Central region at 23,980 and the number of job vacancies at 435 in the third quarter of 2016, resulting in a job vacancy rate of 1.8% per cent. Compared to the previous quarter, payroll employment increased by 350 (0.1%), while job vacancies increased by 35 (8.8%), resulting in an increase in job vacancy rate by 0.1 percentage points. Average hourly wages offered for vacancies in the region were $15.70, down $0.70 from the previous quarter.
The North Central region had 15,550 payroll employees and 300 job vacancies in the same time period, bringing the job vacancy rate to 1.9%. Compared to the previous quarter, payroll employment decreased by 130 (0.1%), while job vacancies decreased by 30 (6.3%), resulting in an increase in job vacancy rate by 0.7 percentage points. Average hourly wages offered for vacancies in the region were $14.95, down $0.60 from the previous quarter.