Employment in New Brunswick rose by 4,600 people in the first month of 2020, according to Statistics Canada.
The agency’s latest labour force survey, released Friday, showed the province added 1,800 full-time jobs and 2,800 part-time positions in January.
But the unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.5 per cent as the number of people searching for work increased by 5,100 people.
Over the past 12 months, New Brunswick has added 4,800 full-time positions and 500 part-time jobs. The unemployment rate in January 2019 stood at 8.1 per cent.
Labour Force Survey, January 2020: Employment increased by 35,000 (+0.2%) in January, all in full-time work. The unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 5.5%. https://t.co/j7pR2Us2ss pic.twitter.com/wzNoq6FSUv
— Statistics Canada (@StatCan_eng) February 7, 2020
Meanwhile, the country as a whole added 35,000 jobs in January — all in full-time work — and the unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 5.5 per cent.
Employment in the goods-producing sector increased by 49,000 in January, with gains in manufacturing, construction and agriculture.
At the same time, employment declined in health care and social assistance.