Employment was little changed in July, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada.
The country lost 6,000 jobs as the unemployment rate edged up to 5.5 per cent from 5.4 per cent the month before.
It marked the third consecutive monthly increase in the unemployment rate — the first time it has happened since the early days of the pandemic, according to StatCan.
Employment fell among core-aged men 25 to 54 years old and increased among male youth aged 15 to 24.
There was little change among young and core-aged women, and among men and women aged 55 and older, said the report.
StatCan said employment fell in four industries, led by construction at 45,000.
“Since January 2023, employment in construction decreased by 71,000, offsetting cumulative increases of 65,000 from September 2022 to January 2023,” said the report.
Other industries which saw employment loses included public administration; information, culture and recreation; and transportation and warehousing.
Meanwhile, the number of people working in health care and social assistance grew by 25,000 in July. There were also increases in educational services; finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing; and agriculture.
On a year-over-year basis, average hourly wages rose five per cent, or $1.59, to $33.24 in July. That followed increases of 4.2 per cent in June and 5.1 per cent in May.
At look at some of the provincial numbers
New Brunswick added 5,000 full-time jobs and lost 800 part-time positions for a net increase of 4,200.
StatCan said that caused the unemployment rate to fall 0.2 percentage points to 6.2 per cent.
Nova Scotia added 2,500 full-time jobs and lost 3,000 part-time positions for a net decrease of 500.
But the unemployment rate jumped from 6.4 per cent to 7.7 per cent as more people were looking for work.
Prince Edward Island added 1,500 jobs as the unemployment rate fell to 8.1 per cent from 8.2 per cent the previous month.
In Ontario, the province lost 1,400 full-time jobs and 600 part-time positions for a total of 2,000.
The unemployment rate fell one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.6 per cent.
The full report can be found on Statistics Canada’s website.
Follow
