Canada post a gain of 79,000 in December a headline cheering jobs number, market reacts nicely but the devil is in the details.
Canada post a gain of 79,000 in December a headline cheering jobs number, market reacts nicely but the devil is in the details.
The job gains in December were not of an economy firing on all cylinders – in fact the gains in the East Canadian provinces shows that Canada’s economy has been moving forward based on gains from the United States. The little change in jobs added in Ontario is worrisome. Alberta continues to kick the dust up and Quebec might be the new best place to live in Canada but don’t quote me on that.
Labour Force Survey, December 2017
The Canadian jobs gained in December of 79,000 of which 55,000 are part time work, self-employed workers and public sector (government) employment rose a total of 50,000.
Employment increased for a third consecutive month, up 79,000 in December. The unemployment rate continued on a downward trend, decreasing by 0.2 percentage points to 5.7%, the lowest since comparable data became available in January 1976.
The employment increase in December was concentrated in part-time work, which rose by 55,000.
The unemployment rate followed a downward trend in the 12 months to December, falling 1.2 percentage points over this period.
The number of self-employed workers increased by 28,000 in December. At the same time, public sector employment rose by 22,000, while the number of private sector employees was stable. In December, 25,000 more people were employed in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing, following three months of little change. Employment was up by 13,000 in the “other services” industry in December. “Other services” include services such as those related to civic and professional organizations, and personal and laundry services. In educational services, employment rose by 11,000 in December, a second consecutive monthly increase. In December, 9,500 additional people worked in transportation and warehousing, the first notable employment increase in the industry since the summer of 2017. Employment in natural resources rose by 5,800 in December.
Quebec +27,000 in December. The unemployment rate 4.9%.
Alberta +26,000, mostly in full-time work. The unemployment rate 6.9%.
Nova Scotia +5,900. The unemployment rate 8.0%.
Saskatchewan +5,000, all in part-time work. The unemployment rate 6.4%.
New Brunswick +4,200. The unemployment rate 7.8%.
Prince Edward Island +900. The unemployment rate 9.8%.
Ontario, employment was little changed. The unemployment rate 5.5%
Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, December 2017