In April over 50,000 jobs were added in Canada - want to find out where?
In April, 58,000 jobs were added in Canada yet the unemployment rate rose slightly by 0.1% due to an increase in the number of people looking for work.
The unemployment rates from April 2012 being reported across the county include lows of 5% in the Victoria, British Columbia area to highs of 10.1% in Windsor, Ontario. The rates can be even lower or much higher in smaller cities across the country.
Canada Employment Trends Graph 2009 to 2012 – Source: Statistics Canada
The demand for workers in Canada has increased in the past two months while it was holding relatively steady for the 12 months prior. Because more people are reported to be looking for work, the unemployment rate actually rose slightly from 7.2% to 7.3% nationally according to the new Canadian labour force survey statistics for April 2012, that were released last Friday by Statistics Canada.
The report states that 58,000 jobs were added in Canada during April. March also saw a large increase in the number of employed people working in Canada. The combined March and April employment increase make up the largest two month increase in Canadian jobs in the past 30 years. The four previous months were steady with little to no change.
The combined March and April employment increase make up the largest two month increase in Canadian jobs in the past 30 years.
The unemployment rate varies from province to province. Most of the Canadian jobs created in April were in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. The provinces with the biggest gains in employment were Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Minor job losses were recorded in Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia which were the only provinces that did not see notable gains to their workforce in April.
The provinces with the biggest gains in employment were Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Overall, Canada’s employment rate was 1.2% higher in April 2012 than it was in April 2011 for a gain of 214,000 jobs year over year. These increases were almost all in full time jobs. Part time job levels remained relatively consistent. The employment rate showed marked gains in seven of Canada’s 10 provinces.
These increases were almost all in full time jobs. Part time job levels remained relatively consistent.
most of the new jobs were added in the Construction, Manufacturing, Educational Services, Agriculture and the Natural Resources sector
The report states that most of the new jobs were added in the Construction, Manufacturing, Educational Services, Agriculture and the Natural Resources sector, which includes mining and oil and gas extraction, is adding jobs faster than any other sector in Canada with a growth rate of over 12% in the past year. Jobs in public administration dropped in April by about 32,000 which means the private sector jobs account for all of April’s employment gains. The reduction in public sector jobs may be reflective of cuts to government jobs that were announced recently in the federal budget.
the Natural Resources sector, which includes mining and oil and gas extraction, is adding jobs faster than any other sector in Canada with a growth rate of over 12% in the past year
Canada Unemployment Rates April 2012
In British Columbia the news of the employment report for April was presented positively in local news reports with headlines like “April a great month for jobs: B.C. families benefit”. The drop in B.C.’s unemployment rate represents a year-over-year decline of 1.6% and a drop from 7% to 6.2% from March to April 2012. This improvement in the B.C. job market gives B.C. the 4th lowest unemployment rate in the country along side the other three Western Canadian provinces, with Alberta and Saskatchewan each at 4.9% and Manitoba at 5.2%.
Alberta added 10.700 jobs in April and add added 79,900 over the previous year. Statistics Canada reported the unemployment rate dropped from 5.3% in March to 4.9% in April.
While the job market in Western Canada remains positive and some areas of Ontario are still struggling. CBC News points out the highest unemployment rate in Canada continues to be in the city of Windsor, Ontario which had a unemployment rate of 10.1% and was hard hit by the effects of the recession on Canada’s automobile manufacturing sector. Some have commented Windsor’s unemployment would likely be much higher if those who left Ontario for other provinces to find jobs were counted.
Notably in Eastern Canada, Quebec added the most jobs of all Canadian provinces in April while two of the of it’s 4 eastern neighbors, New Brunswick and Newfoundland also added jobs.
Sources:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/120511/dq120511a-eng.htm
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2012/05/11/wdr-unemployment-windsor.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/11/canada-unemployment-april_n_1508852.html
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/120511/t120511a003-eng.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_provinces_by_unemployment_rate
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Alberta%20unemployment%20rate%20drops/6605421/story.html