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.
The death toll of Monday's earthquake has surpassed 6,200 and is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue. Turkish Canadians have also stepped in to raise funds and collect donations to send to their country of origin.
The 46-year-old Chasing Horse remains behind bars in the U.S. after being formally charged Monday in North Las Vegas with counts including sex trafficking, sexual assault against a child younger than 16, and child abuse.
Labour Minister Harry Bains introduced a bill in the legislature today, saying the holiday will be observed this September and every Sept. 30 afterwards. He says the B.C. holiday follows the federal government's decision in 2021 to declare Sept. 30 a national truth and reconciliation holiday for its workers.
In October, the regional district said the reservoir — which serves about 90 per cent of residents in the area — was at risk of "imminent exhaustion" as southern B.C. recorded an unseasonably dry summer and warm fall.
The government's throne speech, read by Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin in the legislature today, outlines a political agenda for the coming months that includes a plan to support people amid rising costs now and in the long term.
A Boeing 737 air tanker owned by a British Columbia company has crashed in Western Australia while on deployment to a fire. Coulson Aviation, based in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, says in a statement that both pilots walked away from the accident and have been medically assessed.
