Today’s report from Statistics Canada shows that employment in Canada rose in March, with a vast majority of the gains in the private sector. This increase in jobs beat expectations, with economists predicting only 12,000 new jobs in the month.
The transportation and warehousing industry added 41,000 jobs, business building and other support services gained 31,000 positions and finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing saw an increase of 19,000 jobs. Conversely, the construction industry experienced a decrease of 19,000 jobs, with other service and natural resources sectors also reporting losses.
Ontario saw the most significant employment growth among the provinces, with 21,400 new jobs, followed by Alberta with 13,700. Canada’s unemployment rate held steady for the fourth consecutive month, at 5.0%. The report suggests that the job market is improving as the COVID-19 pandemic eases and economic restrictions begin to loosen.
