Student employment up from last year: StatsCan
Canada’s employment was virtually unchanged and the unemployment rate remained at 7.1 per cent in June, according to Statistics Canada.
In the first half of the year, employment growth averaged 14,000 per month, slower than the average of 27,000 in the last six months of 2012.
Over this 12-month period, employment grew by 1.4 per cent (242,000) and the total number of hours worked increased by 0.6 per cent.
Employment up in Manitoba and Saskatchewan
The number of workers in Manitoba rose by 7,300 in June, offsetting declines earlier in the year. This gain pushed the unemployment rate down 0.7 percentage points to five per cent. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was up 1.5 per cent.
Following four months of little change, employment in Saskatchewan increased by 4,300 in June. With this gain, the unemployment rate fell 0.8 percentage points to 3.7 per cent, the lowest among all provinces. On a year-over-year basis, employment increased by 3.6 per cent, the strongest growth rate in the country, found the survey.
In June, employment declined by 5,200 in New Brunswick, returning to a level similar to that of December 2012. This decline pushed the unemployment rate up 0.7 percentage points to 11.2 per cent. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was down 2.2 per cent.
Employment declined by 1,100 in Prince Edward Island in June, said StatsCan, and was little changed from 12 months earlier. The unemployment rate was 10.9 per cent in June.
Following an increase in May, employment in Ontario was little changed in June, as a gain in part-time work was offset by a decline in full-time work. The unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 7.5 per cent. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the province was up 1.6 per cent.
In Quebec, employment was little changed in June and the unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent. On a year-over-year basis, employment rose 1.2 per cent, with all the gains in the last six months of 2012, found the survey.
In Yukon, employment increased by 600 from June 2012 to June 2013, and the unemployment rate fell from 7.8 per cent to 5.3 per cent over the same period.
Employment in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories was little changed in June 2013 compared with June 2012. Over the same period, the unemployment rate was down two percentage points to 13.7 per cent in Nunavut, while it was little changed in the Northwest Territories.
Southern Alberta
Floods in parts of southern Alberta began after the June reference week for the Labour Force Survey, which was from June 9 to 15. The flooding occurred towards the end of the collection period.
While collection activities slowed in the affected communities that were in sample, final response rates for these communities were within normal range. Therefore, it is believed the impact of the floods on June estimates was negligible, said StatsCan.
In July, questions on the impact of the floods on hours worked will be added to the survey, with estimates to be released in mid-August.
Gains in professional, scientific and technical services
Employment in professional, scientific and technical services increased by 27,000 in June, said the government. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment grew by 4.9 per cent (63,000), one of the highest growth rates among all industries.
In June, there were declines in accommodation and food services (down 20,000) and information, culture and recreation (down 15,000).
While employment in construction was little changed in June, it increased 6.2 per cent on a year-over-year basis. Employment in this industry has been on an upward trend since the autumn of 2012.
Manufacturing employment has been little changed in recent months, following a decline of 71,000 during the first three months of 2013, found the survey.
The number of private and public sector employees and the self-employed was little changed in June. Compared with 12 months earlier, growth among private sector employees was 1.2 per cent (137,000), with all the gains in the second half of 2012.
At the same time, the number of public sector employees was up 1.5 per cent (55,000), with increases spread throughout the period. As for the self-employed, growth was 1.9 per cent (51,000), the bulk of which occurred in the first quarter of 2013.
Student summer employment
Among returning students aged 20 to 24, the employment rate was 68 per cent in June, up from 63.2 per cent in June 2012. Their unemployment rate was 11.4 per cent in June, down from 13 per cent one year earlier, said StatsCan.
he employment rate for 17- to 19-year-old students was 51.9 per cent in June, similar to the rate observed 12 months earlier. Over the same period, the unemployment rate for these students declined from 17.3 per cent to 15.7 per cent.
