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Glossary
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A
Associations and Unions
Associations and Unions are organizations or groups of workers that share common goals and promote the interests of members in respect to wages, working conditions, benefits and other work-related issues. These organizations are often responsible for providing information and setting standards for the particular occupational field.
Associations and Unions, is a section of the "Build Your Occupational Profile" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Attrition
Attrition is the creation of job opportunities in the labour market due to the retirement or death of current workers.
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B
Bank of Canada Rate
Bank of Canada Rate is the interest rate charged by the Bank of Canada to major financial institutions. It is the basis of the interest rates that chartered banks will charge their customers on loans or pay on savings accounts.
Source:
Bank of Canada Rate
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C
Community Information
Community information provides a basic overview of local communities, including such information as population, transportation services, housing prices, rental rates, schools and municipal services. This information is particularly relevant for mobile workers and employers.
Community Information is a section of the "About the Local Labour Market" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Computer Use (Essential Skills)
Computer Use indicates the variety and complexity of computer use within the occupational group.
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Consumer Price Index or CPI
"Consumer Price Index or CPI is a measure of the rate of price change for goods and services bought by Canadian consumers. It is the most widely used indicator of price changes in Canada.
When prices rise, the purchasing power of money falls. When prices fall, it means the purchasing power of money increases. The CPI is frequently used to estimate the extent to which this purchasing power of money changes in Canada. For these reasons, it is a widely used measure of inflation (or deflation)."
Source:
Statistics Canada: Your Guide to the Consumer Price Index
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Continuous Learning (Essential Skills)
Continuous Learning examines the requirement for workers in an occupational group to participate in an ongoing process of acquiring skills and knowledge.
Continuous Learning tests the hypothesis that more and more jobs require continuous upgrading, and that all workers must continue learning in order to keep or to grow with their jobs. If this is true, then the following will become essential skills:
knowing how to learn
understanding one's own learning style and
knowing how to gain access to a variety of materials, resources and learning opportunities
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D
Debt
The debt is the total amount of all the deficits accumulated by a country or a province. It is the total amount of money borrowed for the administration of the country or the province.
The greater the debt, the greater the proportion of the budget needed for the debt servicing, considering the interests to be paid. There is less money available for other public services.
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Deficit
"Deficit is the amount by which a business or government's budgetary spending exceeds revenues over a particular period of time."
Source:
Department of Finance
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Discouraged Searcher (discouraged worker)
According to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey, Discouraged Searcher refers to persons who reported being available and wanting to work at a job or business, but who did not look for work because they believed that no suitable work was available. It is formerly referred to as Discouraged Worker.
Source:
Statistics Canada: Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2006)
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Document Use (Essential Skills)
Document Use refers to tasks that involve a variety of information displays in which words, numbers, icons and other visual characteristics (eg., line, colour, shape) are given meaning by their spatial arrangement. For example, graphs, lists, tables, blueprints, schematics, drawings, signs and labels are documents used in the world of work.
If a document includes a paragraph of text such as on a label or a completed form, it is also included in A. Reading Text. Documents requiring the entry of words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs are also included in C. Writing.
Document Use includes:
- print and non-print media (for example, computer screen or microfiche documents, equipment gauges, clocks and flags)
- reading/interpreting and writing/completing/producing of documents-these two uses of documents often occur simultaneously as part of the same task, e.g., completing a form, checking off items on a list of tasks, plotting information on a graph, and entering information on an activity schedule.
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E
Economic Growth
Economic Growth is an increase in the total output of an economy over a period of time. When new productive resources are available or when more products and goods are produced with existing resources, economic growth takes place. New resources could be a larger working age population, larger investments in infrastructure, or machines used to help increase current worker productivity.
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Economic Indicator
Economic Indicators are data used to analyze and describe specific trends occurring in the economy. They are generally used for analyzing and forecasting business conditions. Examples of economic indicators include employment rates, unemployment rates, Consumer Price Index and Gross Domestic Product.
Leading indicators tend to reach their peak before the corresponding business cycle turns down. Employment (hours of work) is an economic indicator that tends to lead the economic cycle as consumption is a major component of GDP.
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Employee
Employee is an individual who is hired by a business or person to provide labour services on a regular basis in exchange for a wage or salary.
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Employer
Employer is a business or person that hires individuals to provide labour services on a regular basis in exchange for a wage or salary.
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Employment Insurance (EI)
Employment Insurance (EI) provides temporary financial assistance for unemployed Canadians while they look for work or upgrade their skills. Canadians who are sick, pregnant or caring for a newborn or adopted child, as well as those who must care for a family member who is seriously ill with a significant risk of death, may also be assisted by Employment Insurance.
For more information on qualifying for EI, refer to:
Source:
Human Resources and Social Development
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Employment Potential
Employment Potential indicates the short-term prospect for employment opportunities within a given occupational group for a specific labour market area. The Employment Potential indicators are 'Good' and 'Limited':
- Good: in the short term, there will be employment opportunities in the local labour market for skilled workers in the occupational group
- Limited: in the short term, there will be few, if any, employment opportunities in the local labour market for skilled workers in the occupational group
Employment Potential is a section of the "Employment Prospects" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Employment Rate (employment / population ratio)
"Employment Rate is the number of employed persons expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over. The employment rate of a population can be presented by age groups, sex, marital status, province, etc."
Source:
Statistics Canada: Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2006)
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Employment Requirements
Employment Requirements are prerequisites generally needed to obtain employment in an occupational group. It can include education, training, related work experience, licenses, certificates, apprenticeships or regulated trades requirements, artistic talent, portfolio, athletic abilities, tools and equipment. If available, more specific local employment requirements will also be displayed under this heading.
Employment Requirements is a section of the "Job and Skill Requirements" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site and the information is from the National Occupational Classification or NOC.
Source:
HRSDC: National Occupational Classification (NOC)
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Employment Trends
Employment Trends are significant observations about an occupational group such as the movement towards special education or skill set requirements, or current technological developments that have an impact on the occupational group and long-term growth projection of the economy.
Employment Trends is a section of the "Employment Prospects" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Essential Skills
Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.
These skills are used in nearly every occupation and throughout daily life in different ways and at different levels of expertise.
There are nine Essential Skills:
- reading text
- document use
- numeracy
- writing
- oral communication
- working with others
- continuous learning
- thinking skills
- computer use
Source:
HRSD: Essential Skills
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Example Titles
Example Titles lists a sample of typical job titles or positions relevant to an occupational group.
Example Titles is a section of the "Job Descriptions" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site and the information is from the National Occupational Classification or NOC.
Source:
HRSDC: National Occupational Classification (NOC)
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Exchange Rate
"Exchange Rate refers to the value of one currency over another. For example, it refers to the value of the Canadian dollar against the currencies of other countries. Among other things, it helps determine the difference between the amount that the economy pays for imported goods and services and the amount that it receives from its exports.
When the value of the Canadian dollar falls, imported goods become more expensive, and this often leads to the reduction of the volume of imports. At the same time, other countries will pay less for some of Canadian products and that will tend to boost export sales.
The Exchange Rate plays a particularly important role in the Canadian economy because imports and exports are a relatively large part of Canada's economy. Most of Canada's trade is with the United States, which is why the value of Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar is especially important."
Source:
Banque of Canada Exchange Rate
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F
Forecast
Forecast is a projection of future events or condition based on an analysis of current trends and available information. A forecast is very specific and has a short time frame. Forecasts are only as reliable as their underlying assumptions.
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Full-Time Employment
According to Statistics Canada, Full-time Employment is a condition of work where employed individuals work 30 hours or more per week in their main job.
Source:
Statistics Canada: Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2006)
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G
Gross Domestic Product or GDP
Gross Domestic Product or GDP refers to the total value of all of the goods and services produced in a country over a period of time. GDP is the major measure of economic activity in Canada.
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I
Inflation
Inflation is a persistent rise in the average price of goods and services over time. The most widely used measure of inflation is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or total CPI.
Source:
Bank of Canada
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L
Labour Force Survey
"Labour Force Survey or LFS is a household survey carried out by Statistics Canada on a monthly basis. It provides information on major labour market trends such as shifts in employment across industrial sectors, hours worked, labour force participation and unemployment rates.
LFS is the only source of monthly estimates of total employment including full-time and part-time employment, self-employment and unemployment. It publishes monthly standard labour market indicators such as unemployment rate, employment rate and participation rate. In addition, the LFS is a major source of information on the personal characteristics of the working-age population, including age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, and family characteristics."
Source:
Statistics Canada: Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2006)
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M
Main Duties
Main Duties is a description of the tasks, activities or assignments common to a specific occupational group, and which the employee is expected to perform during his or her work term.
Main Duties is a section of the "Job Descriptions" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site and the information comes from the National Occupational Classification or NOC.
Source:
HRSDC: National Occupational Classification (NOC)
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N
National Occupational Classification or NOC
National Occupational Classification or NOC is a systematically ordered classification of occupations in the Canadian labour market. It is used to standardize occupational information in Canada.
The NOC lists 520 occupational unit groups that are identified by a unique four-digit number. Over 25,000 occupational titles are included in these unit groups.
Source:
HRSDC: National Occupational Classification (NOC)
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Nature of Work
Nature of Work is a general and brief description of the main activities of an occupational group. It also indicates the kinds of industries, workplaces or establishments where the occupation is located. If available, more specific local characteristics will also be displayed under this heading.
Nature of Work is a section of the "Job Descriptions" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site and the information comes from the National Occupational Classification or NOC.
Source:
HRSDC: National Occupational Classification (NOC)
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Numeracy (Essential Skills)
Numeracy refers to the workers use of numbers and their being required to think in quantitative terms.
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O
Occupational Profile
Occupational Profile provides a description of an occupation within a labour market area. It can include a description of the work, information on education and training requirements, trends and employment prospect for the occupation and other associated information. The information assists individuals in career decision-making, job search, planning and employer decision-making.
Occupational Profile is a section of "Build Your Occupational Profile" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Oral Communication (Essential Skills)
Oral Communication pertains primarily to the use of speech to give and exchange thoughts and information by workers in an occupational group.
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Other Information (Essential Skills)
Other Information summarizes additional information collected during the interviews.
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P
Part-time Employment
According to Statistics Canada, Part-time Employment is a condition of work where employed individuals work less than 30 hours per week in their main job.
Source:
Statistics Canada: Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2006)
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Potential Employer
Potential Employer is a list of employers where an occupational group is or may be represented. The listing is not an indication of any job vacancies currently available.
Potential Employer is found in the "Who Hires" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Q
Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative Analysis is a method of explaining past occurrences and forecasting future events through the use of non-numerical data.
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Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis is a method of explaining past occurrences and forecasting future events through an examination of numerical data.
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R
Reading Text (Essential Skills)
Reading Text refers to reading material that is in the form of sentences or paragraphs.
Reading Text generally involves reading notes, letters, memos, manuals, specifications, regulations, books, reports or journals.
Reading Text includes:
- forms and labels if they contain at least one paragraph
- print and non-print media (for example, texts on computer screens and microfiche)
- paragraph-length text in charts, tables and graphs
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Reference Week
Reference Week refers to the week of the month in which the Labour Force Survey is conducted by Statistics Canada. It is the week that contains the 15th day of the month.
Source:
Statistics Canada: Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2006)
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S
Seasonally Adjusted Estimates
Seasonally Adjusted Estimates refer to economic time series from which seasonal movements (i.e. climate, holidays, vacation periods and cycles related to crops, production and retail sales associated with Christmas and Easter) have been eliminated. Statistics Canada composes seasonally adjusted series that contains irregular and longer-term cyclical fluctuations.
Source:
Statistics Canada: Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2006)
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Skills Requirements
Skills Requirements are specific abilities, aptitudes and knowledge that are prerequisites needed to obtain employment in an occupational group. If available, more specific local requirements will also be displayed under this heading.
Skills Requirements is a section of the "Job and Skill Requirements" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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T
Telecommuting
Telecommuting is a type of work where employees work from a distance, usually from their homes. Telecommuting employees use computer technology, fax and phone in order to communicate with their co-workers when working at home.
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Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions are the most common conditions of work for an occupational group. It could include information such as normal hours of work (i.e. days, evenings, weekends, or shift work), whether the job is normally offered on a full-time, part-time or seasonal basis and if commissions are normally paid.
Terms and Conditions is a section of the "Job Descriptions" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Thinking Skills - Decision Making (Essential Skills)
Decision making refers to making a choice among options.
Decision making occurs during problem solving, but not all decision making is part of problem solving. It is, therefore, presented as a separate thinking skill. For example, buyers for retail outlets regularly make decisions about which suppliers to buy from, i.e., they select among the options for particular types of merchandise. This is not problem solving.
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Thinking Skills - Finding Information (Essential Skills)
Finding Information involves using any of a variety of sources including text, people, computerized databases or information systems.
Finding Information is highlighted in this section of the Profile as an essential job skill. However, workers use of various information sources may be referred to in other sections such as:
- Reading Text
- Document Use
- Oral Communication
- Computer Use
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Thinking Skills - Job Task Planning and Organizing (Essential Skills)
Job Task Planning and Organizing refers to the extent to which the workers plan and organize their own tasks. It does not refer to involvement in the planning function for the organization in which they work.
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Thinking Skills - Problem Solving (Essential Skills)
Problem solving involves problems that require solutions. For example, a mechanic solves problems, e.g., the car shakes when driven over 80 km./hr., by eliminating probable causes until the correct one is identified and remedied. Most problems concern mechanical challenges, people or situations.
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Thinking Skills - Significant Use of Memory (Essential Skills)
Significant Use of Memory includes any significant or unusual use of memory for workers in the occupational group. It does not include normal memory use that is a requirement for every occupation.
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Thinking Skills (Essential Skills)
Thinking Skills differentiates between six different types of cognitive functions. However, these functions are interconnected.
The Thinking Skills section of the Profile has six main components.
Problem solving
Decision Making
Critical Thinking
Job Task Planning and Organizing
Significant Use of Memory
Finding Information
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W
Wage - Average
Average wage is the typical wage that is paid to skilled worker in the occupational group.
The average wage is calculated by arranging all of the wages in order from lowest to highest. These wages are divided into sections (percentiles). The wages that are located at the bottom 10 percent of the scale and at the top 10 percent of the scale are removed. The average is calculated on the remaining wages. The wages that remain represent the range where 80 percent of individuals in this occupation get paid.
Average wage is a term that is located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web Site.
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Wage - Experienced
Experienced wage is the wage that is paid to individuals who are fully qualified and have been doing the work for a period of time.
The experienced wage category is not defined by a specific number of years worked as it will depend on the type of position. The higher the education required to do the job, usually means the more time required before an individual is considered 'experienced'.
For example, a retail sales clerk may be considered experienced once they have been doing the job for 3 to 6 months. An electrician may be considered experienced only after receiving his or her trade certification and having worked in the field for a couple of years.
Experienced wage is a term that is located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web Site.
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Wage - General
General wage is the category that includes all wages that are paid to individuals in the occupational group. The general wage includes all wage categories (starting, experienced, union, part-time and part-time / union).
General wage is a term that is located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web Site.
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Wage - High
High wage is the wage that is paid to workers earning towards the top end of the pay scale.
All of the wages are put in order from lowest to highest. These wages are then divided into sections (percentiles). The wage rate that is located where the top 10 percent begins is then assigned as the high wage. The purpose of this method is to eliminate wages that are extremely high and may not be truly representative of the wages paid by a majority of local employers for this occupational group.
High wage is a term that is located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web Site.
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Wage - Low
Low wage is the wage that is paid to workers earning towards the lower end of the scale.
All of the wages are put in order from lowest to highest. These wages are then divided into sections (percentiles). The wage rate that is located where the bottom 10 percent begins is then assigned as the low wage. The purpose of this method is to eliminate wages that are extremely low and may not be truly representative of the wages paid by a majority of local employers for this occupational group.
Low wage is a term that is located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web Site.
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Wage - Part-time
Part-time wage is the wage that is paid to individuals who work less than 30 hours per week.
Part-time wage is a term that may be located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Wage - Part-time & union
Part-time and union wage is the wage that is paid to individuals who are covered by a collective agreement, and only work part-time hours. The specific number of hours worked are defined by the collective agreement.
Part-time and union wage is a term that may be located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Wage - Reference Period
Reference period is the time in which the wage data was collected and therefore provides an indication of the currency of the information.
Reference period is a term that is located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Wage - Starting
Starting wage is the usual wage that is paid to individuals who have limited or no previous experience working in the occupation.
Starting wage is a term that may be located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Wage - Union
Union wage is the wage that is paid to individuals who are covered by a collective agreement.
Union wage is a term that may be located in the "Wages & Salaries" menu in the Labour Market Information Web site.
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Working with Others (Essential Skills)
Working with Others examines the extent to which employees work with others to carry out their tasks. Do they have to work co-operatively with others? Do they have to have the self-discipline to meet work targets while working alone?
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Writing (Essential Skills)
Writing includes:
- writing texts and writing in documents (for example, filling in forms)
- non-paper-based writing (for example, typing on a computer)
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Last modified: 2005-09-22
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