Hamilton by the Numbers

Value of Building Permits

City of Hamilton – (CDN Dollars)

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hamilton, and the world at large, the value of 2021’s building permits broke all previous records for the City of Hamilton. The City issued permits valued at $2,128,166,392 in 2021, a 53.8% increase over 2020’s building permit values. Industrial permits in 2021 increased by 102.3% compared to the previous year, and commercial permits increased year-over-year by 85.6%.

Employment by Sector

Hamilton CMA – 2019 & 2020

Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey reports on the number of people who are employed in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Annual data from 2020 reports that there were there were 384,900 employed residents in the Hamilton CMA. This figure is down 6.4% from 2019, and is largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of September 2021, monthly labour force survey data report 412,300 people employed in the Hamilton CMA – a 7.1% increase on the 2020 employment level.

Business Counts

City of Hamilton (CSD)

As of December 2020, Hamilton was home to approximately 15,782 businesses (including registered charities and not-for-profit organizations). Approximately 56.3% of Hamilton’s employers employ fewer than four people, and 74.6% of employers employ nine or fewer people. There are approximately 34,653 businesses operating without employees (i.e. establishments providing self-employment) in Hamilton.

Monthly Unemployment Rate (%) in the Hamilton CMA and Ontario

Hamilton reported a consistent unemployment rate in February 2022, maintaining January 2022’s rate of 4.7%. In contrast, the unemployment rate in Ontario fell considerably from 7.4% in January 2022 to 5.6% in February 2022. This change at the provincial level is largely due the easing of restrictions relating to COVID-19.

Monthly Employment Rate (%) in the Hamilton CMA and Ontario

Hamilton’s employment rate declined slightly from 62.4% in January 2022 to 62.0% in February 2022. This change is likely due to the 3-month floating average used in capturing regional labour force data. This methodology also saw Hamilton report an increase in its employment rate in January 2022 even as the provincial employment rate briefly fell to 59.4%. Ontario’s trend – which is not measured with a floating average – increased to 60.9% in February 2022. As January’s employment statistics were driven by COVID restrictions, most of which will have eased or ended when the March data is collected, there is reason to expect Hamilton will see a return to a positive employment trends.

Monthly Participation Rate (%) in the Hamilton CMA and Ontario

Similar to the employment rate, Hamilton’s participation rate declined slightly from 65.5% in January 2022 to 65.1% in February 2022. During the same time period, Ontario’s participation rate increased from 64.1% to 64.5%. Once again, COVID-restrictions should be seen as a major driver of these data at both the regional and provincial level. As restrictions ease, the March and April data will offer a more stable baseline on local and provincial labour market conditions.

Annual Real Estate Sales

(# of units)

Annual Housing Starts

(# of units)

Economic Structure

Average Daily Rate – ADR