Employment numbers continue to rebound across the country, according to the latest labour force survey from Statistics Canada.
The agency said Friday that employment rose by 246,000 in August, pushing the unemployment rate down 0.7 percentage points to 10.2 per cent.
It comes as public health restrictions have substantially eased across the country and more workplaces have re-opened.
All of the employment increase in August was in full-time work, which rose by 206,000, while the number of part-time workers was little changed.
Employment rose at a faster pace among women than men for the third consecutive month in August. Statistics Canada reported women gained 150,000 jobs compared to 96,000 for men.
Combined with gains in May through July, employment is now within 1.1 million of its pre-COVID level in February.
The total number of Canadian workers affected by the COVID-19 economic shutdown stands at 1.8 million, down from a peak of 5.5 million in April. That includes 713,000 Canadians who worked less than half their usual hours due to COVID-19.
Regional Breakdown
Employment held steady in New Brunswick for the second straight month after notable increases in May and June.
The province lost 700 jobs overall, but with fewer people looking for work, the unemployment rate fell to 9.4 per cent.
In August of 2019, the unemployment rate in New Brunswick stood at 8.5 per cent.
Nova Scotia had the largest employment gain in Atlantic Canada with an increase of 7,200 jobs, mostly in part-time work.
The province’s unemployment rate now stands at 10.3 per cent, a drop of 0.5 percentage points compared to July.
One year ago, the unemployment rate in Nova Scotia stood at 7.9 per cent.
Prince Edward Island added 1,600 jobs in August, all in full-time work, and the unemployment rate fell by one percentage point to 10.7 per cent.
In August of 2019, the unemployment rate in Prince Edward Island stood at 7.6 per cent.
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