There was an increase in Canada’s jobless rate in June as more people looked for work.
The economy shed 2,200 jobs according to data from Statistics Canada, disappointing the economists who had predicted a gain of 10,000.
But despite the pause, the overall state of the Canadian labour market continued strongly in the second quarter of 2019 with employment up 132,000, mostly full-time jobs.
Year-over-year employment in June was up 421,000 or 2.3%.
Employment in June increased in Alberta and Saskatchewan, while it decreased in Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador. Employment was little changed in the remaining provinces. In Alberta, employment rose by 10,000 in June, as an increase in full-time work more than offset a decline in part-time work.
There were more jobs in healthcare, education, transportation, and information; but fewer in retail, manufacturing, and natural resources.
There was also a decline in the number of self-employed workers as the number of employees increased.
Employment among people aged 55 and over grew by 22,000 in June, driven by increases among men (+16,000) while there was a decrease of 18,000 among men in the core working ages of 25 to 54, with little change among women. There was little change for youth employment (15-24 years).
