Canada / Employment rose by 95,000 and the unemployment rate was down to 7.1% in May

Following little change the previous month, employment rose by 95,000 in May, with most of the increase in full-time work. This employment gain pushed the unemployment rate down 0.1 percentage points to 7.1%.

Chart 1 Employment

Compared with 12 months earlier, employment grew 1.4% or 250,000, all in full-time work. Over the same period, the total number of hours worked rose 1.1%.

In May, employment increased in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, New Brunswick and Manitoba, while it declined in Prince Edward Island.

Employment rose in construction; retail and wholesale trade; “other services;” and business, building and other support services.

All of the employment gains in May were among private sector employees, offsetting losses over the previous two months for this group.

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

Chart 2  Unemployment rate

Employment gains in several provinces

In May, employment in Ontario increased by 51,000, with large gains in full-time work partly offset by losses in part-time work. With this gain, the unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 7.3%, the lowest since November 2008. Year-over-year growth was 2.0%, higher than the national average of 1.4%.

Employment in Quebec rose by 20,000 in May, offsetting declines earlier in the year. The unemployment rate was 7.7%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was up 1.3%.

In Alberta, employment increased for the second consecutive month, up 19,000 in May. Despite this gain, the unemployment rate for the province was up 0.4 percentage points to 4.8% as more people participated in the labour force. On a year-over-year basis, employment growth in this province was 2.3%, all in full-time work.

The number of workers in New Brunswick rose by 3,700 in May, offsetting the decline in April. The unemployment rate for the province was 10.5% in May. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was down 1.3%.

Following a decline the previous month, employment in Manitoba increased by 3,000 in May and the unemployment rate was 5.7%. On a year-over-year basis, employment was little changed.

In Saskatchewan, employment was little changed for the fourth consecutive month. Nevertheless, year-over-year growth was 2.9%, well above the national average.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

via The Daily — Labour Force Survey, May 2013.