March 16, 2010

Canada job numbers up in February

But construction sector lost 11,000 workers

OTTAWA

Canada’s recovering economy continued to churn out new jobs last month, adding 60,000 full-time positions, mostly in the public sector and many filled by men aged 55 or more.

But the construction sector dropped 11,000 workers, an unexpected development, said Statistics Canada, given the good winter weather.

The February unemployment rate of 8.2 per cent was the lowest reported by Statistics Canada since last April, before the country began to recover from a major recession.

The agency noted that the gain in full-time jobs, including 26,000 filled by men in the over-55 age group, was partially offset by a loss of 39,000 part-time positions.

As a result, there was a net gain of 21,000 full- and part-time jobs in February.

The agency said 46,000 of the jobs created in February came in the government, public service sector, although the private sector also posted gains.

The goods producing sector, which again posted large losses during last year’s slump, also fared well as the troubled manufacturing industry picked up 17,000 workers, and natural resources rose 11,000.

Since July, Canada has added 159,000 new jobs, an impressive record considering the United States continues to shed workers. July is about the time when Canada’s economy turned a corner from negative growth to positive, picking up steam in the last three months of 2009, when output rebounded strongly at five per cent annualized growth.

Canadian Press

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