Employment rose by 40,000 in December, the fourth increase in five months. December’s increase was all in full-time work. The unemployment rate declined 0.1 percentage points to 7.1%, the lowest in four years.
Chart 1 Employment
Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 1.8% or 312,000, all in full-time work. Over the same period, the total number of hours worked rose 1.6%.
Provincially, employment increased in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island in December. At the same time, there was a decline in Nova Scotia.
Employment rose among private sector employees in December, up 59,000, while there was little change in public sector employment and self-employment.
Year over year, employment gains among private sector employees totaled 242,000 (+2.2%), while public sector employment rose by 92,000 (+2.6%). Over the same period, the number of self-employed was little changed.
Among industries, employment increased in transportation and warehousing as well as construction, while there were fewer workers in professional, scientific and technical services; natural resources; and public administration.
In December, employment increased among core-aged men 25 to 54. Over the year, employment gains were shared among core-aged workers and those 55 and over, while employment among youths was unchanged.
Chart 2 Unemployment rate
Choosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor from
Job Market Monitor 
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