N.B. Loses 500 Full-Time Jobs, Unemployment Rate Falls To 8 Percent
The unemployment rate fell in New Brunswick from 8.1 per cent in October to 8.0 per cent in November, and the province lost around 500 full-time jobs according to the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey released Friday.
However, overall, the province lost only around 300 jobs, because there’s a slight uptick in part-time positions.
The year-over-year number is relatively steady, with a gain of only 100 jobs from November 2018 to now.
New Brunswick’s labour force declined by 2,100 between October and November, to 386,300. But year-over-year, it grew by 2,800.
Moncton gained 100 full- and part-time jobs from October to November and saw its unemployment rate fall from 5.8 percent to 5.6 per cent. Its labour force decreased from 85,600 to 85,500, also marking a fall from 86,100 in November 2018.
Saint John lost 800 jobs and saw its unemployment rate rise from 7.7 percent to 8.2 percent. Its overall labour force dropped from 71,000 to 70,500. However, that’s still an increase from 69,900 in November 2018.
The provincial numbers reflect the national data, where employment fell by 0.4 per cent (71,000) between October and November. The unemployment rate also increased by 0.4 percentage points to 5.9 percent.
The declines in employment were seen in the goods-producing sector, particularly manufacturing and natural resources, and in the services sector, especially in public administration.
Year-over-year, the country gained 293,000 jobs – a 1.6 per cent increase, mostly in full-time jobs.
The Canada-wide number of private-sector workers also fell, while self-employment and public-sector work remained steady.