Unemployment inches up to 7 per cent as Canada adds 12,000 jobs in August
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Despite lackluster figures, gains in full-time work create silver lining
OTTAWA—Like the previous six months, Canada’s employment landscape saw no major changes in August. The economy added 12,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate climbed 0.2 per cent to 7 per cent, according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. Unemployment had held steady at 6.8 per cent for six months previously.
The good news for Canadian workers was the uptick in full-time work. 54,000 full-time positions were created in August, while 42,000 part-time jobs disappeared.
Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was up by 193,000 or 1.1 per cent, Statistics Canada said. Meanwhile, the real winner has been full-time workers. Part-time work has declined by 125,000 from a year ago, while 318,000 full-time jobs have been created.
Provincially, employment rose in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba and New Brunswick in August, while changing little in the rest of the country.
Though public administration and educational services saw growth, other industries encountered few changes.
The number of public sector employees was also up in August, while self-employment edged down and the private sector was neutral. Statistics Canada noted while the number of private sector employees was virtually unchanged in August, it is up 124,000 compared with a year ago.
The youth unemployment rate continues to cause concern, idling at 13.1 per cent in August.
