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.
Finance Minister Katrine Conroy said the government plans to invest in people during uncertain times, despite a deficit projection of $4.2 billion in 2023-2024, and $11 billion over three years.
A statement from Vancouver police says 47-year-old Dean Gallant was arrested on the city's west side last Wednesday. He and a female accomplice were wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for a violent home invasion in Calgary last month and police say the woman was picked up on Monday in Vancouver and both remain in custody.
A stretch of Highway 97N, also known as Harvey Avenue, was closed in both directions for more than seven hours on Monday as police waited for the disposal unit to arrive from the Lower Mainland. She says the device was not detonated, but was rendered safe by experts who know how to handle such explosives.
The Liberals said the benefit is intended to provide cost-of-living relief to low-income Canadians. The current benefit is available to families whose household income is less than $90,000 a year and ranges from $260 to $650 per child depending on net income.
The summons applies to CEO Sundar Pichai, as well as Kent Walker, president of global affairs, Richard Gingras, vice-president of news, and Sabrina Geremia, vice president and country manager for Google in Canada.
Conroy says the prospect of a multibillion-dollar surplus similar to last year's budget is not in the forecast. She says that almost $6-billion surplus was an anomaly that allowed the NDP government to announce numerous spending initiatives on health, affordability, infrastructure and housing.
