Thousands Of New Jobs Created In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Last Month
HALIFAX — More than 7,000 new jobs were created in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick last month, but unemployment in the region remains high.
According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate in both provinces is well above the national average.
Canada-wide, unemployment went down for the fourth month in a row. Statistics Canada says 6.9 percent of the working population was without a job in September.
That’s in contrast to New Brunswick, where unemployment held steady at 9.3 percent.
Although the province’s unemployment rate didn’t change, 6,100 people did find jobs in New Brunswick last month. However, because many others came back into the job market but didn’t find work, those new jobs didn’t move the overall unemployment rate.
New Brunswick’s new jobs came mostly from the “wholesale and retail trade” category (which created 2,000 new jobs), and the “business, building, and other support services” category (1,900 new jobs).
The “healthcare and social assistance category,” shed 3,200 jobs in September.
In Nova Scotia, meanwhile, unemployment ticked up slightly to 8 percent, from 7.8 percent in August. There were also 1,400 net new jobs created in Nova Scotia last month, the smallest job gain in the last four months.
The “wholesale and retail trade” category led job growth in the province, creating nearly 4,000 jobs. The “transportation and warehousing” category also added 2,300 new jobs.
The biggest job losses came from the forestry, fishing and mining sectors, which were down 2,200 jobs. The “professional, scientific, and technical services” category also lost 2,100 jobs.
Look to the region’s urban centers, and the unemployment numbers look a little rosier.
In Halifax, unemployment was down half a percentage point, to 7 percent. In that city, 238,700 have jobs, while 18,000 are without.
Moncton, meanwhile, continued to have an unemployment rate much lower than the rest of New Brunswick. There, 89,600 are working, while 6,100 remain jobless. That puts the city’s unemployment rate at a respectable 6.3 percent.
In Saint John, unemployment sat at 8.7 percent in September, which was unchanged from the month before.
Trevor Nichols is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].
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