Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canada Loses 19,700 Jobs In April, Unemployment Rate Sticks At 6.8%

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 May, 2015 12:00 AM
    OTTAWA — The Canadian economy lost 19,700 net jobs last month as the headline number in the latest labour-market data came in lower than economists' expectations.
     
    The national unemployment rate held steady at 6.8 per cent in April for the third straight month, Statistics Canada said Friday.
     
    The labour force survey found that the country added 46,900 net full-time positions and shed 66,500 part-time jobs between March and April. The April decline followed an unexpected increase of 28,700 jobs in March.
     
    Energy-rich Alberta added 12,500 net jobs last month — even though the province's natural resources sector lost 3,500 positions at a time of lower oil prices. The province's sector had 17,200 fewer jobs compared to a year ago, down 9.5 per cent, but its unemployment rate stayed at 5.5 per cent.
     
    The data also showed that British Columbia lost 28,700 net jobs last month and saw its unemployment rate rise to 6.3 per cent, up from 5.8 per cent the month before.
     
    The consensus projection of economists had predicted a loss of only 5,000 jobs for April, while calling for the unemployment rate to rise to 6.9 per cent, according to Thomson Reuters.
     
    CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld wrote in a note to clients on Friday that it wasn't surprising to see the job numbers slip in April since Canada's economy enjoyed little growth over the first three months of 2015.
     
    Shenfeld blamed the decrease in the overall labour figure on dips in the trade sector, which lost 20,500 positions, and in construction, which shed 28,400 jobs.
     
    "Overall, not a great headline, but not as bad in the details," Shenfeld wrote.
     
     
    Compared to April 2014, nationwide employment was up by 139,100 jobs thanks to a boost from 165,800 net new full-time positions over the same period.
     
    The country's youth unemployment rate climbed to 13.6 per cent last month, up from 13.0 per cent in March. The data showed there were 13,200 fewer jobs last month for young workers, aged 15 to 24, than the month before.
     
    Meanwhile, the April unemployment rate for women 25 years and older dipped slightly to 5.3 per cent, while the jobless rate for men 25 years and older stayed at 6.0 per cent for the second straight month.
     
    The economy also saw a net loss of 19,900 jobs in the public sector and registered a net gain of 24,200 private-sector positions.
     
    QuickStats: Facts and figures about employment in Canada in month of April
     
    OTTAWA — A quick look at April unemployment (previous month in brackets):
     
    Unemployment rate: 6.8 per cent (6.8)
     
    Employment rate: 61.3 per cent (61.4)
     
    Labour force participation rate: 65.8 per cent (65.9)
     
    Number unemployed: 1,310,200 (1,309,300)
     
    Number working: 17,894,900 (17,914,600)
     
    Youth (15-24 years) unemployment rate: 13.6 per cent (13.0)
     
    Men (25 plus) unemployment rate: 6.0 per cent (6.0)
     
    Women (25 plus) unemployment rate: 5.3 per cent (5.4)
     
    QuickList: Unemployment rates in selected Canadian cities in April
     
     
    The national unemployment rate was 6.8 per cent in April. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities but cautions the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. (Previous month in brackets.)
     
    — St. John's, N.L. 6.4 (6.2)
     
    — Halifax 6.8 (6.4)
     
    — Moncton, N.B. 7.2 (6.6)
     
    — Saint John, N.B. 8.1 (9.2)
     
    — Saguenay, Que. 7.9 (8.1)
     
    — Quebec 5.0 (5.3)
     
    — Sherbrooke, Que. 6.9 (7.4)
     
    — Trois-Rivieres, Que. 6.1 (6.1)
     
    — Montreal 7.7 (7.5)
     
    — Gatineau, Que. 7.7 (7.7)
     
    — Ottawa 6.6 (7.1)
     
    — Kingston, Ont. 7.2 (6.7)
     
    — Peterborough, Ont. 8.1 (7.8)
     
    — Oshawa, Ont. 7.9 (7.5)
     
    — Toronto 7.3 (7.3)
     
    — Hamilton, Ont. 5.2 (5.6)
     
    — St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. 6.4 (6.8)
     
    — Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont. 6.0 (5.5)
     
    — Brantford, Ont. 5.2 (5.4)
     
    — Guelph, Ont. 4.1 (4.8)
     
    — London, Ont. 6.5 (6.9)
     
    — Windsor, Ont. 11.5 (11.1)
     
    — Barrie, Ont. 7.8 (6.7)
     
    — Sudbury, Ont. 6.6 (6.3)
     
    — Thunder Bay, Ont. 4.7 (4.3)
     
    — Winnipeg 6.1 (6.3)
     
    — Regina 4.7 (4.9)
     
    — Saskatoon 5.1 (5.2)
     
    — Calgary 5.3 (5.2)
     
    — Edmonton 5.8 (5.3)
     
    — Kelowna, B.C. 4.1 (3.6)
     
    — Abbotsford, B.C. 6.0 (5.9)
     
    — Vancouver 6.1 (6.0)
     
    — Victoria 6.1 (5.0)

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger To Shuffle Cabinet Following Internal Revolt

    WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger is expected to shuffle his cabinet this afternoon following a leadership challenge that he barely survived.

    Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger To Shuffle Cabinet Following Internal Revolt

    Philippe Couillard Not Excluding Possibility Of Tightening Quebec Language Law

    QUEBEC — Premier Philippe Couillard is not excluding the possibility of tightening Quebec's language law to force major retailers to include French wording in their commercial trademark English names.

    Philippe Couillard Not Excluding Possibility Of Tightening Quebec Language Law

    Arguments Over Evidence Puts Duffy Trial On Pause Until Next Week

    Arguments Over Evidence Puts Duffy Trial On Pause Until Next Week
    Justice Charles Vaillancourt will hear arguments Monday in what is called a voir dire, basically a mini-trial within the main trial.

    Arguments Over Evidence Puts Duffy Trial On Pause Until Next Week

    Statistics Canada Says Underground Economy Totalled $42.4 Billion In 2012

    OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the underground economy totalled $42.4 billion in 2012, roughly 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product.

    Statistics Canada Says Underground Economy Totalled $42.4 Billion In 2012

    McMaster University To Increase Female Faculty's Pay After Review

    McMaster University To Increase Female Faculty's Pay After Review
    HAMILTON — Female faculty at McMaster University will be getting a raise after a two-year study showed differences in salary between the sexes at the Hamilton school.

    McMaster University To Increase Female Faculty's Pay After Review

    Trial Of Accused Terrorists Gets First Look At Pressure Cookers Lined With Nails

    Trial Of Accused Terrorists Gets First Look At Pressure Cookers Lined With Nails
    VANCOUVER — A B.C. Supreme Court jury has had a firsthand look inside the pressure cookers that were allegedly turned into bombs and left to detonate outside the provincial legislature.

    Trial Of Accused Terrorists Gets First Look At Pressure Cookers Lined With Nails