Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS)

Summary of changes

Activity on this program started: 2014

Reference period of change - October 2020

The JVWS began to release preliminary estimates on a monthly basis.

Questions measuring the labour market impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) were added:

1. What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on the number of paid employees you are reporting compared to a typical [reporting month]?
More/Fewer/About the same
Please estimate the impact on your number of paid employees, in number of employees.
2. What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on the total number of job vacancies you are reporting compared to a typical [reporting month]?
More/Fewer/About the same
Please estimate the impact on your number of job vacancies, in number of job vacancies.
3. What impact the COVID-19 pandemic have on demand for your products or services compared to a typical [reporting month]?
Higher/Lower/About the same
4. Which of the following changes has this business made to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic?
-Altered methods of production
-Altered products or services offered
-Discontinued a product or service
-Added new ways to interact with or sell to customers/clients
-Reduced opening hours
-Increased opening hours
-Voluntarily closed temporarily
-Closed temporarily as mandated by government
-Closed permanently
-Other OR
-None of the above
5. Which of the following actions has this business taken with regards to staffing due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
How many employees were laid off (temporarily or permanently) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 1, 2020 until [reporting month] 1? Number of employees laid off
Of those, how many have been recalled as of [reporting month] 1? Number of employees recalled.

Reference period of change - first quarter 2020

Starting in January 2020, a new electronic questionnaire was introduced to make it more efficient for respondents to complete the survey and for processing the data. Few modifications were made to the content, apart from the removal of the question on professional certification and from changes to the question on the duration of the vacancy. The option of constantly recruiting is no longer included as a response to the question on the duration of the vacancy, while a new question was added to assess whether the recruitment for the position is expected to be ongoing.

Certain common job titles are now coded by an automated system while the rest are coded manually.

Reference period of change - fourth quarter 2018

Sampling - The JVWS population for the third and fourth quarters of 2018 is based on the NAICS 2017 Version 3.0 while previous quarters are based on the NAICS 2017 Version 2.0.

Reference period of change - first quarter 2015

Statistical activity - This program tells a more complete story of current labour market events. A fifth survey, Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS), has been added. It will provide labour market demand information by occupation, offered wage and region.

Sampling - The survey is conducted on a quarterly sample of 100,000 business locations, except for the first quarter of 2015, which includes a sample of about 67,000 business locations obtained from the regular quarterly sample, or two-thirds of the regular sample. As a result, comparisons of the first quarter of 2015 data with data from subsequent quarters should be made with caution.