Canada: Employment Remains At Record High

Following two months of small increases, Canadian employment was unchanged in May, and the unemployment rate remained at 6.1%. Over the past 12 months, figures from Statistics Canada show that employment in Canada has risen by 2.0 percent. Despite slower employment growth in recent months, the participation rate remained at its record high of 68.0 percent in May.

Manufacturing employment rose in May, mainly in Ontario and Quebec. Employment across Canada in this industry has trended downward since November 2002. Health care and social assistance, as well as “other services” added employment in May, while agriculture and professional, scientific and technical services recorded losses.

Quebec
In Quebec, after two consecutive months of declines, employment rose by 18,000 in May. With an increase in the number of Quebecers in the labour market, the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.5 percent. Employment growth over the last 12 months in the province stands at 1.2 percent, below the national rate of growth.

Employment in Quebec’s manufacturing industry increased in May (+14,000). While manufacturing employment has declined by 124,000 since November 2002, over the past 12 months, this sector has been stable with growth in transportation equipment offsetting losses in textile and clothing manufacturing.

With a slight increase in May, Ontario’s employment growth over the past 12 months was 2.2 percent. Losses in educational services in May were offset by gains in manufacturing.

Newfoundland & Labrador
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the employment rate rose to an all-time high of 52.8 percent in May. Over the past 12 months, employment growth was 2.9 percent, one of the fastest rates of growth in the country.

Manitoba
Following strong gains the month before, employment in Manitoba declined in May, pushing the unemployment rate up to 4.2 percent, still among the lowest in Canada. Employment in this province has increased by 1.5 percent in the past 12 months.

New Brunswick
In May, employment in New Brunswick declined (-4,400), bringing the unemployment rate up to 8.9 percent. In 2007, employment followed an upward trend; so far this year, however, growth has slowed.

Alberta
Although unchanged in May, employment in Alberta has increased 3.3 percent over the past 12 months, the strongest growth rate in Canada. As a result of increased participation in the labour market, the unemployment rate rose in May to 3.6 percent, still the lowest in Canada.

Strong employment growth for adult women
In May, employment among adult women rose by 35,000, mostly in part time. An increase of 52,000 women in the labour market boosted their participation rate to an all-time high of 62.4 percent in May.