Monday, May 08, 2006
Canada's employment rate growing at double the pace of last year
Ottawa, ON -- Employment across Canada rose by an estimated 22,000 in April 2006, Statistics Canada reports in its latest Labour Force Survey. At the same time, the unemployment rate edged up to 6.4% (+0.1 percentage points), still hovering around a 30-year low. So far in 2006, employment is up 124,000 or 0.8%, double the pace of growth observed over the first four months of last year.
The employment gain in April was the result of an increase in full-time work (+26,000). This continues the long-term trend of full-time growth. Part-time employment has remained around the same level over the last three years.
Employment in manufacturing rose by an estimated 25,000 in April. Despite this gain, losses since the end of 2002 have totalled 165,000 or 7.1%. Although there are fewer workers, factory output has shown an upward trend over the corresponding period. Furthermore, the recent decline in manufacturing employment pales in comparison to the recession of the early 1990s when employment fell much more sharply over the same span of time, down 329,000 or 15.5%.
For the second consecutive month, the bulk of the employment gains were in Ontario. In Canada's two westernmost provinces, there was a pause in the strong pace of employment growth that has been observed for some time. However, over the first four months of 2006, employment growth in Alberta was well ahead of the rest of the country.
see more ACROSS THE PROVINCES
The employment gain in April was the result of an increase in full-time work (+26,000). This continues the long-term trend of full-time growth. Part-time employment has remained around the same level over the last three years.
Employment in manufacturing rose by an estimated 25,000 in April. Despite this gain, losses since the end of 2002 have totalled 165,000 or 7.1%. Although there are fewer workers, factory output has shown an upward trend over the corresponding period. Furthermore, the recent decline in manufacturing employment pales in comparison to the recession of the early 1990s when employment fell much more sharply over the same span of time, down 329,000 or 15.5%.
For the second consecutive month, the bulk of the employment gains were in Ontario. In Canada's two westernmost provinces, there was a pause in the strong pace of employment growth that has been observed for some time. However, over the first four months of 2006, employment growth in Alberta was well ahead of the rest of the country.
see more ACROSS THE PROVINCES
