The following is excerpted from the 10 May 2013 article by CBC News.
Canada’s economy added a modest 12,500 jobs in April, as more Canadians entered full-time work, according to data released Friday by Statistics Canada.
The national unemployment rate held steady at 7.2 per cent.
Economists had predicted a gain of about 15,000 jobs in April, following a dismal drop the month before. The country had unexpectedly lost 54,500 jobs in March, making it the worst month for Canadian employment since before the last recession, in February 2009.
April job gains were attributed to an increase in full-time employment across the country. Full-time jobs grew by 36,000, while part-time positions fell by 23,000.
There was also a rise of paid employees - 14,200 - as opposed to self-employed workers.
About 34,200 public sector jobs were created last month, despite government cutbacks. The public sector has been a jobs generator since April 2012, adding about 93,500 new jobs, compared to just 10,000 in private industries.
Manufacturing work increased by 21,000 last month, the first time the sector has added jobs since last June, Statistics Canada said.
Despite the seemingly positive changes, economist Erin Weir said the modest increases in employment numbers is tempered by the fact that fewer people are now looking for work.
Fewer than two-thirds of Canadians over the age of 15 are now employed or looking for work, the lowest participation rate since February 2012, said Weir, an economist with the United Steelworkers…
By province, Alberta saw the most job creation, adding about 14,800 positions. The unemployment rate for the province fell to 4.4 per cent.
Manitoba did not fare as well, losing about 11,100 jobs in April and wiping out the employment gains it had made over the past year. Employment also declined in New Brunswick and in Newfoundland and Labrador.
While employment rose for Canadians overall, youth employment declined in April. There were 18,800 fewer jobs among people aged 15 to 24, and fewer youths looking for work. The youth unemployment rate has crept up over the last year and is now at 14.5 per cent, twice the national rate.
This article is available in its entirety at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/05/10/business-economy-jobs-stats.html