January 31, 2012

Construction had one of highest job vacancy rates: Statistics Canada

OTTAWA

Statistics Canada says despite a high unemployment rate, there were about a quarter of a million job vacancies during the summer months last year.

Among the 10 industrial sectors analyzed, educational services had the highest ratio of vacancies at 10 to one, followed by construction and manufacturing.

The government agency says on average there were 248,000 job vacancies during the third quarter of 2011, the three-month period ending in September.

During the time, the unemployment rate ranged from 7.1 per cent to 7.3 per cent, but has since worsened to 7.5 per cent.

The data shows there was one vacancy for every 3.3 people looking for jobs in the third quarter.

Vacancy rates were highest in the economically better-off provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and lowest in Prince Edward Island.

Among the 10 industrial sectors analyzed, educational services had the highest ratio of vacancies at 10 to one, followed by construction and manufacturing.

News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2012

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