Statistics

Transition to Teaching

The sharp drop in new Ontario teaching licenses issued in 2016, following a multi-year decline in new entrants to the Ontario teaching market, resulted in a strong improvement in early-career teacher employment outcomes in the 2016–17 school year.

French as a second language and French-first language teachers continue to enjoy high demand and low rates of unemployment in the first year after licensure.

English-language education graduates report much improved job outcomes across all divisions. Intermediate-Senior qualified math and science teachers are quickly returning to the high demand market of a decade ago.

Annual supply of new teachers will remain at historic lows for the next several years as teacher retirements rise gradually from year to year. The years ahead will bring a near balance of annual new teachers and retirements, a supply and demand circumstance that should extend this recent improving job market throughout the province.

The next few years will require vigorous recruitment by Ontario’s school boards, not only to fill vacancies in the current high demand qualification areas, but increasingly to fill occasional teaching, long-term occasional (LTO) and permanent positions across the board.

First-year full employment increased from:

Circle diagrams showing the percentage of first year employment increases from 2014 to 2017. Long description follows.

2014: 34%.
2015: 42%.
2016: 47%.
2017: 62%.

Unemployment rate for new English-language teachers in Ontario:

The unemployment rate for new English-language teachers in Ontario is one in five.

Ontario teacher unemployment by language of qualifications:

Three separate bar charts showing the years 2014 to 2017, showing the percentage of teachers unemployed by language of qualification. Long description follows.

French as a Second Language
2014: 11%.
2015: 3%.
2016: 5%.
2017: 4%. 

French-Language Program
2014: 18%.
2015: 4%.
2016: 9%.
2017: 0%. 

English-Language Teachers
2014: 40%.
2015: 31%.
2016: 34%.
2017: 19%. 

The 2017 survey results for French-language program graduates represent only six respondents.

New teachers licensed annually (by year):

Bar chart showing the number of new teachers licensed annually by year from 2008 to 2017, and forecasted to 2020. Long description follows.

2008 to 2011: 12,138 (actual).

2012 to 2015: 10,590 (actual).

2016: 3,600 (actual).

2017: 5,551 (actual).

2018: 5,380 (forecast).

2019: 5,425 (forecast).

2020: 5,575 (forecast).


Visual diagram of a microscope and a paper scroll outlining the unemployment rate for new English-language intermediate-senior teachers with math, sciences, and/or computer studies qualifications vs. those without these qualifications, French or FSL. Microscope diagram has 11 per cent vs. paper scroll diagram with 23 per cent. 

Considered fully employed by year of teaching career:

Line graph that shows the first-year Ontario resident teacher unemployment rates by year of survey from 2008 to 2017. The data is given for teachers in the first five years in the profession. Long description follows.

2008: first year 59%, second year 72%, third year 77%, fourth year 85%, fifth year 89%.

2009, first year 41%, second year 62%, third year 66%, fourth year 80%, fifth year 87%.

2010: first year 33%, second year 47%, third year 64%, fourth year 72%, fifth year 79%.

2011: first year 33%, second year 39%, third year 59%, fourth year 68%, fifth year 72%.

2012: first year 29%, second year 34%, third year 47%, fourth year 57%, fifth year 66%.

2013: first year 28%, second year 37%, third year 39%, fourth year 51%, fifth year 53%.

2014: first year 37%, second year 43%, third year 50%, fourth year 50%, fifth year 59%.

2015: first year 46%, second year 48%, third year 56%, fourth year 66%, fifth year 69%.

2016: first year 52%, second year 56%, third year 63%, fourth year 66%, fifth year 67%.

2017: first year 62%, second year 64%, third year, 69%, fourth year 73%, fifth year 67%.

First-year Ontario resident teacher unemployment language group:

First-year unemployment among FSL-qualified teachers declined from a high of 17 per cent in 2013 to four per cent in 2017, the third year in a row of minimal unemployment. French-language program graduate unemployment fell from a high of 18 per cent in 2012 to four per cent in 2015 and has remained in single digits for the past three years. English-language program graduates without FSL qualifications reached a peak unemployment rate of 45 per cent in 2013 and dropped to 19 per cent by 2017.

2012: 16% FSL qualified, 18% French-language programs, 42% English-language teachers, 39% all Ontario-resident teachers.

2013: 17% FSL qualified, 15% French-language programs, 45% English-language teachers, 41% all Ontario-resident teachers.

2014: 11% FSL qualified, 13% French-language programs, 40% English-language teachers, 33% all Ontario-resident teachers.

2015: 3% FSL qualified, 4% French-language programs, 31% English-language teachers, 23% all Ontario-resident teachers.

2016: 5% FSL qualified, 9% French-language programs, 34% English-language teachers, 27% all Ontario-resident teachers.

2017: 4% FSL qualified, 0% French-language programs, 19% English-language teachers, 16% all Ontario-resident teachers.

Job outcome measures for first-year Ontario resident English/French-language teacher groups in the 2016–17 school year:

Bar chart showing the job outcomes for first-year English-language and French-language teachers. Long description follows.

Teaching at more than one school: 49% of English-language teachers, 36% of French as a second language teachers and 20% of French-language program graduates.

Part-time teaching: 39% of English-language teachers, 30% of French as a second language teachers and 0% of French-language program graduates.

Daily supply: 47% of English-language teachers, 26% of French as a second language teachers and 0% of French-language program graduates.

Piecework: 60% of English-language teachers, 48% of French as a second language teachers and 20% of French-language program graduates.

Underemployed: 27% of English-language teachers, 18% of French as a second language teachers and 9% of French-language program graduates.

Permanent positions: 13% of English-language teachers, 25% of French as a second language teachers and 50% of French-language program graduates.

Employment outcomes for different first-year newly certified teacher groups:

Certification groups unemployed 2016 and 2017

Ontario university graduates: 14% in 2017 and 23% in 2016.

Ontario permit programs: 23% in 2017 and 28% in 2016.

Ontarians educated abroad: 12% in 2017 and 37% in 2016.

Teacher ed in other Canadian provinces: 15% in 2017 and 21% in 2016.

U.S. border-college graduates: 13% in 2017 and 41% in 2016.

New-Canadian teachers: 49% in 2017 and 61% in 2016.

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