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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.
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. | 