Employment increased by 59,000 in August, mainly in part-time work, and the unemployment rate declined 0.1 percentage points to 7.1%. Over the six months to August, employment gains averaged 12,000 per month, lower than the average of 29,000 observed during the preceding six-month period.
Since August 2012, employment has increased 1.4% (+246,000). At the same time, the number of hours worked has grown 1.3%.
Chart 1 Employment
Provincially, employment increased in Ontario and Alberta, while it declined in Manitoba.
Employment in health care and social assistance rose in August, offsetting a decline in July. There were also more people working in information, culture and recreation; accommodation and food services; and in construction. At the same time, there were fewer employed in educational services; “other services”; finance, insurance, real estate and leasing; and agriculture.
Employment gains were concentrated among people aged 55 and over, while there was little change among youths and people aged 25 to 54.
The employment rate of returning students aged 15 to 24 was up slightly this summer compared with last summer, but still low compared with rates prior to the 2008/2009 labour market downturn.
Chart 2 Unemployment rate
Employment up in Ontario and Alberta
In Ontario, employment increased by 44,000 in August, mostly in part-time work, and the unemployment rate was 7.5%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment growth in the province was 2.2%, higher than the national average of 1.4%.
In August, employment in Alberta rose by 15,000, the fourth notable increase in five months. These recent gains have brought year-over-year employment growth to 3.6%. As more people searched for work in August, the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 4.8%.
Employment in Manitoba declined for the second consecutive month, down 3,100 in August. At the same time, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 5.2% as fewer people were looking for work. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province was little changed.
Despite little change in employment in Quebec, the unemployment rate declined 0.3 percentage points to 7.9% in August as there were fewer people looking for work. On a year-over-year basis, employment was little changed, as gains in the first five months of the period were offset by recent losses.
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