News Update

Rate of Employment and Unemployment

Following a decline in July, employment edged up by 15,000 in August. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.1%. Since the start of the year, employment has increased by 87,000 (+0.5%), a much smaller increase compared to the 221,000 (+1.3%) of the first eight months of 2007.

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Employment gains in August were all in full-time work. So far in 2008, increases have been a mix of both full- and part-time employment compared with mostly full-time growth during the same period of 2007.

In August, there were employment gains in Saskatchewan and Ontario, partially offset by losses in Nova Scotia and Manitoba. Employment was virtually unchanged in the other provinces. For the first eight months of 2008, employment gains have been in Ontario and the western provinces.

In August, employment increased in educational services; construction; utilities; and accommodation and food services. These gains were partially offset by decreases in health care and social assistance; agriculture and public administration.

There was a slight increase in manufacturing employment in August. So far this year, this industry has declined by 14,000 (-0.7%), a smaller decrease compared with the same period in 2007 (-76,000 or -3.6%).

August's employment gains were mostly among private sector employees (+41,000), while there were fewer employees in the public sector (-24,000). Since the beginning of 2008, employment growth has been primarily among employees in the private sector, in contrast to strength in the public sector and in self-employment over the same period of 2007.

Most of the employment increases in August were among men and women aged 25 to 54 years, countered by declines among older women. In the first eight months of 2008, employment growth was stronger for older workers than core-aged workers and youth.






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