Employment increased by 54,000 (+0.3%) in November, driven by gains in part-time work. The employment rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 60.9%, while the unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 6.5%. Employment growth was concentrated among youth aged 15 to 24 (+50,000; +1.8%). There was little change in employment for core-aged people (25 to 54 years) and people aged 55 years and older. In November, employment increased in health care and social assistance (+46,000; +1.6%), accommodation and food services (+14,000; +1.2%) and natural resources (+11,000; +3.4%). On the other hand, employment decreased in ... (full story)

The labour market surprised economists again in November with a third straight month of job gains. Statistics Canada says the economy added 54,000 jobs last month compared with expectations for a small drop in employment. The unemployment rate fell to 6.5 per cent from 6.9 per cent in October with 26,000 fewer people working or looking for work in Canada. Statistics Canada says job gains were concentrated in part-time work and youth aged 15 to 24 – a demographic that has struggled through a tough labour market so far this year. The health-care and social assistance sector led gains with 46,000 new positions while the ... (full story)