The country’s unemployment rate ticked down to 6.6 per cent in January, according to Statistics Canada.
New figures released on Friday show employment across the country rose by 76,000 last month.
StatCan said that follows increases of 91,000 recorded in December and 44,000 in November.
Gains were led by manufacturing and professional, scientific and technical services, according to the monthly labour force survey.
Employment was up for those between the ages of 15 and 54, while it fell among men aged 55 and older and held steady among women in the same age category.
The employment rate climbed by 0.1 percentage points to 61.1 per cent, marking the third consecutive monthly increase. It accounts for the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed.
StatCan said the recent increases follow a period in which employment growth had been outpaced by population growth.
Average hourly wages among employees increased 3.5 per cent, or $1.23, on a year-over-year basis in January to $35.99, which was the slowest growth since April 2022.
At look at some of the provincial numbers
New Brunswick gained 6,500 full-time positions and lost 3,700 part-time jobs for an overall employment increase of 2,900.
That, combined with fewer people in the labour force, pushed the unemployment rate down by 1.3 percentage points to 6.4 per cent.
Nova Scotia lost 3,800 full-time jobs and added 3,300 part-time positions for a net decrease of 500.
But with fewer people in the labour force, the province’s unemployment rate dropped 0.4 percentage points to 5.9 per cent.
Prince Edward Island lost 300 jobs but the unemployment rate fell to 7.2 per cent with fewer people in the labour force.
In Ontario, the province gained 51,000 full-time and lost 12,100 part-time jobs for an overall increase of 39,000.
However, the province’s labour force increased by more than 45,000, pushing the unemployment rate up by 0.1 percentage point to 7.6 per cent.
Statistics Canada defines the labour force as everyone aged 15 or older who has a job or is actively looking for one.
The full report can be found on Statistics Canada’s website.
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