Maritime Cities Show Job Gains As National Unemployment Drops
FREDERICTON–Employment in New Brunswick rose by 0.3 percent last month, an increase of roughly 3000 jobs, marking the province’s second consecutive monthly increase.
That’s according to newly released monthly job numbers from Statistics Canada.
The agency said New Brunswick’s gains were in full-time work and mostly among men aged 25 to 54, which is the country’s core working age bracket. The unemployment rate provincially for October was 9.1 percent, marking New Brunswick’s fourth consecutive month with little or no change.
For October, the regionally adjusted employment number for Fredericton was 7.6 per cent. Saint John and Moncton showed 8.7 and 6.4 per cent unemployment rates, respectively.
In Nova Scotia, the unemployment rate ticked upward to 8.3 percent. That’s up three-tenths from September, largely due to a decrease in part time jobs. Meanwhile, seasonally adjusted, full-time labour saw a small increase of 1,500 jobs.
Regionally adjusted averages saw Halifax’s unemployment rate at 6.3 percent, down 0.7 percent from September and 1.7 percent compared to October of last year.
National Employment Holds Steady
Nationwide employment numbers held steady last month, as Canada delivered a 6.7 percent unemployment rate, down from 6.9 percent in September.
Statistics Canada said the marginal increase in jobs nationwide was helped in part by added proof-of-vaccination initiatives now in effect in various provinces and workplaces like Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, where capacity limits were lifted in many sectors of activity where proof of vaccination is now mandatory.
After returning to a pre-pandemic level in September, national employment held steady, adding 31,000 jobs (an increase of 0.2 percent) in October.
Employment increases in a number of industries, including retail trade, were offset by declines elsewhere, including in accommodation and food services.
Employment rose in New Brunswick and Ontario, while it fell in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. StatsCan said gains among paid employees were offset by declines in self-employment.
National Unemployment Drops For Fifth Straight Month
StatsCan noted October’s jobless rate is a 20-month low, and within one percentage point of the 5.7 percent unemployment rate posted in February 2020.
The adjusted unemployment rate—which includes people who wanted a job but did not look for one—was 8.7 percent in October and was also the lowest rate since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Full-time employment also grew in October for core-aged men and women, (workers aged 25 to 54), which saw an increase of 53,000, (up 0.4 percent) last month, with all the gains in full-time work. Full-time employment increases were also similar for both core-aged men and women, (up 0.6 percent).
The survey noted the gains resulted in full-time employment among core-aged men returning to pre-pandemic levels for the first time, while full-time work for core-aged women was 98,000 and one per cent higher than in February 2020.
While the labour force continues its recovery, the proportion of workers aged 15 to 69 who worked from home was little changed, at 23.8 percent in October.
Despite the easing of many public health restrictions across the country since the summer, the 4.2 million Canadians working from home in October was only slightly below the 4.3 million working from home one year ago.
Tyler Mclean is a Huddle reporter in Fredericton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].
widad
November 7, 2021 @ 5:09 am
Many thanks.keep up the good work