Canada / Employment rose by 51,000 and unemployment rate remained at 7.0%

Employment rose by 51,000 in February, following a slight decline the previous month. This increase was spread between full- and part-time work. The unemployment rate remained at 7.0% as more people participated in the labour force.

Chart 1

Employment

Compared with 12 months earlier, employment grew by 1.9% or 336,000, predominantly in full-time work. Over the same period, the total number of hours worked also increased by 1.9%.

Provincially, employment increased in Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, while Manitoba saw a decline.

Employment gains in February were in professional, scientific and technical services; accommodation and food services; public administration; and agriculture. Manufacturing was the lone industry to post a notable decline.

In February, there were more people working as employees (+39,000), while the number of self-employed was little changed. Compared with 12 months earlier, the number of private sector employees rose by 236,000 or 2.1%, and public sector employment increased by 72,000 or 2.0%. Self-employment was little changed over the same period.

Employment increased among people aged 55 and over in February, while it was little changed among youths and people aged 25 to 54.

Chart 2

Unemployment rate

Employment gains in several provinces

Employment in Ontario rose by 35,000 in February, led by gains among youths. Despite this increase, the unemployment rate remained at 7.7% as more people participated in the labour force. Year-over-year gains in the province were 1.7%, slightly below the national growth rate of 1.9%.

Following a decline the previous month, employment in British Columbia increased by 20,000 in February. As more people participated in the labour force, the unemployment rate remained at 6.3%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province was little changed.

Employment rose by 3,000 in Nova Scotia and the unemployment rate was 9.3% in February. However, compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province was down 1.4%.

In New Brunswick, the number of workers increased by 2,900, pushing the unemployment rate down 1.2 percentage points to 10.1%. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was little changed.

Employment in Manitoba declined by 3,200 in February and the unemployment rate stood at 4.9%, as fewer people participated in the labour force. Despite the decline in February, employment in the province grew by 1.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Employment in Quebec was little changed in February, and the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 7.4%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province increased by 2.9%.

While employment in Saskatchewan was little changed in February, robust growth over the past 12 months (+4.3%) pushed the unemployment rate down 1.1 percentage points over the period to 3.8% in February, the lowest since November 2008 and the lowest among all provinces.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor 

via The Daily — Labour Force Survey, February 2013.