Manitoba boasts lowest unemployment rate in Canada

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This article was published 08/09/2017 (3146 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s unemployment rate dipped to a country-leading 4.9 per cent last month, new Statistics Canada data shows.

In its latest monthly Labour Force Survey report released Friday, the federal agency said the province’s jobless rate declined slightly — it was 5.0 per cent in July — even though the local economy posted a net gain of only 300 new jobs for the month.

Part of the reason for that is that 300 workers also dropped out of the provincial labour force during the month. That left 683,200 people in the workforce, with 649,400 of them employed.

With last month’s modest decline, Manitoba’s now boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the country. British Columbia has the second lowest rate, at 5.1 per cent.

Statistics Canada said although a total of about 5,300 new part-time jobs were created during the month, those gains were largely offset by the loss of about 4,900 full-time positions.

But on a more encouraging note, it said the Manitoba economy has added about 9,700 new full-time positions since August of last year, plus about 6,000 new part-time ones, for a net gain of 15,800 jobs (rounded off).

Nationally, Canada’s labour market posted its ninth-straight month of job gains in August to give the economy its longest monthly growth streak since before the financial crisis nine years ago.

Statistics Canada said last month’s increase of 22,200 jobs also helped nudge the national unemployment rate down from 6.3 per cent in July to a nine-year low of 6.2.

But Friday’s data showed the August growth was fuelled by less-desirable work, as the economy gained 110,400 part-time jobs and shed 88,100 full-time positions.

The agency said most of the decline in full-time work was concentrated among young Canadians aged 15 to 24 years old. The youth category also showed a notable decrease last month in participation as fewer young people looked for work.

The August numbers also showed a decline of 10,400 paid employee positions, while the number of people who described themselves as self-employed, including unpaid workers in family businesses, increased by 32,700.

“While very solid on the surface, the details of this report are generally sluggish, leaving a mixed bag,” BMO chief economist Doug Porter wrote in a research brief for clients.

Looking at the bigger picture, the latest numbers said the labour market expanded 2.1 per cent compared to a year earlier with the addition of 374,300 net new jobs. Of those new jobs, 213,400 were full time.

The data provided yet another sign the economy continued to have momentum after a stronger-than-expected start to 2017 that has also prompted two interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada.

The latest rate increase came earlier this week after a report showed Canadian economic growth expanded at an annual pace of 4.5 per cent from April to June.

Last month’s labour data showed wages grew 1.8 per cent last month compared to a year earlier for the biggest increase since last October.

By industry, the services sector gained 35,900 jobs while the number of factory positions fell by 13,700. The goods-sector slide was led by a loss of 11,100 manufacturing positions.

Ontario posted the only notable gain among provinces, while employment declined in Nova Scotia. The headline job numbers were little changed in the other provinces.

“Overall, as much as it might be argued that the components of the report were sub-par, job expansion continues unabated, reflecting sustained economic momentum and businesses and consumers brimming with confidence,” Desjardins senior economist Jimmy Jean wrote in a research note.

— with files by The Canadian Press

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca