Canada's employment continues upward trend in March
Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 Apr, 2023 03:40 PM
Canada's employment grew by 35,000, or 0.2 per cent, in March, following little change in February and strong growth in January and December, Statistics Canada said.
Employment has generally trended up since September 2022. Over that period, the number of people employed has increased by 383,000, or 1.9 per cent, the national statistical agency added on Thursday.
Employment gains in March were concentrated among private sector employees and there was little change in the number of public sector employees and self-employed workers, the agency said.
According to the agency, for the fourth consecutive month, the unemployment rate was five per cent in March, just above the record low of 4.9 per cent observed in June and July of 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.
Total hours worked rose 0.4 per cent in March and were up 1.6 per cent on a year-over-year basis, the agency said.
Average hourly wages rose 5.3 per cent to 33.12 Canadian dollars ($24.5) on a year-over-year basis in March, compared with 5.4 per cent in February, Statistics Canada added.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says after two years of low rates of flu, mostly due to travel restrictions, the province is seeing a "dramatic increase" in illness and it arrived sooner than normal.
BC Assessment says in a statement that most owners can expect to see a five to 15 per cent rise in values when notices are issued Jan. 3. However, it says those figures are based on the real estate market as of July 1, 2022, and conditions have changed.
Delta Mayor George Harvie says some drivers from Delta were stranded in their cars for up to 10 hours, while those in other parts of the region have told media that 45-minute commutes turned into 12 hours of gridlock.
A person who was with the man when he began firing quickly fled and called 9-1-1, reporting that the shooter had been acting strangely for several days. VPD officers surrounded the building and evacuated neighbours who were in harm’s way so they could begin communicating with the suspect.
Police are on a lookout for the suspect who was dressed in all dark clothing and was observed leaving the scene on foot following the incident. Calling it a targeted incident, the police has launched a homicide investigation.
Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser says the federal government is calling for proposals for projects that offer Canadian work experience for internationally trained health professionals or streamline the process that recognizes international medical credentials.
