An Excellent Year For Job Hunters

• The number of jobs in Canada increased by 62,000 in December, pushing unemployment down to the 6.1 percent – the lowest for 30 years.
• Employment gains in Ontario accounted for 42,000 of the 62,000 jobs. The gains were almost entirely in the service sector. Manufacturing employment in Ontario continued its long-term decline.
• 345,000 jobs were created in Canada in 2006, the highest growth rate since 2002.
• One third of Canada’s new jobs in 2006 were in Alberta, although only one in ten of Canada’s workforce lives in Alberta. The province experienced above average growth in natural resources; manufacturing; construction; educational services; health care and social assistance; and accommodation and food services.
• 80 percent of the jobs created in Canada in 2006 were full-time jobs
• Women took almost two-thirds of the 345,000 jobs that were created. (215,000 jobs went to women.)
• Average hourly wages in Canada averaged around $20.00 in December 2006.
• Wages were highest in Alberta, at $21.60 per hour.
• The main sources of the jobs created in Canada in 2006 were natural resources (+10.9%); business, building and other support services (+8.8%); finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (+6.9%); health care and social assistance (+5.8%); “other services” (+4.8%) and construction (+3.5%). However, there was continued weakness in manufacturing (-2.7%) and declines in information, culture and recreational services (-2.6%).
• Despite overall gains in employment, youth unemployment in Canada increased by 36,000. Youth unemployment rate is approaching its lowest rate since 1989 but is still 11.2 percent.

Unemployment Rates in Canadian Provinces
(Statistics Canada)

Province	Unemployed (%)
Newfoundland and Labrador	14.8
Prince Edward Island	11.0
Nova Scotia	7.9
New Brunswick	8.8
Quebec	8.0
Ontario	6.3
Manitoba	4.3
Saskatchewan	4.7
Alberta	3.4
British Columbia	4.8
Yukon	4.3
Northwest Territories	5.4
Nunavut	10.3
Canada Average	6.3