Payroll earnings increase from September to October: StatsCan •Number of EI recipients fell in October: StatsCan • Part-time employment rises in December • CRA needs to change its culture and solve customer service issues: CFIB
Payroll earnings increase from September to October: StatsCan
OTTAWA — Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees increased 1.4 per cent to $885.36 in October from the previous month, according to Statistics Canada. On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings rose 2.7 per cent. Increases in average weekly earnings reflect many factors including wage growth and changes in the composition of employment by industry, occupation and level of job experience. The average work week can also impact average weekly earnings, but it was unchanged from October 2010 at 33 hours. The monthly increase in average weekly earnings was highest in finance and insurance, education, real estate and rental leasing, utilities, mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction and manufacturing. Year-over-year growth in average weekly earnings exceeded the national average of 2.7 per cent in four of Canada’s largest industrial sectors: administrative and support services; professional, scientific and technical services; health care and social assistance; and education. Average weekly earnings rose 6.8 per cent to $747.82 in administration and support services.
Number of EI recipients fell in October: StatsCan
OTTAWA — The number of people receiving regular employment insurance (EI) benefits declined slightly in October, according to Statistics Canada. The number of beneficiaries was down 5,400 — or one per cent — to 541,200, continuing a year-long downward trend. The number of beneficiaries fell in nine provinces, with the most notable declines occurring in Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba and Ontario. In New Brunswick, the number receiving benefits rose slightly. There were fewer beneficiaries in nine provinces. The most notable declines occurred in Alberta (2.5 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (2.2 per cent), Manitoba (2.1 per cent) and Ontario (1.7 per cent). The declines in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario extended a downward trend that began two years earlier. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the decrease followed four months of increases.
More EI claims in October
OTTAWA — There were more EI claims in October than September. The number of initial and renewal claims rose by 9,600 or 4.2 per cent to 240,700. Claims increased 7.7 per cent in Ontario, 4.8 per cent in Quebec, 4.7 per cent in Alberta and 4.4 per cent in British Columbia. The number of claims fell in 1.3 per cent in Nova Scotia, 1.2 per cent in Prince Edward Island and one per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador. The number of claims was virtually unchanged in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick.
Part-time employment rises in December
OTTAWA (Reuters) —Canadian employment rose by 17,500 jobs in December, roughly in line with expectations, but the new jobs were all part-time and not enough to offset the previous two months of declines, according to data released by Statistics Canada. The unemployment rate rose to its highest level since April despite the rise in employment, climbing to 7.5 per cent from November’s 7.4 per cent, as more people participated in the job market.
The number of employees on payrolls declined, with the self-employed category picking up the slack, said Scotia Capital economist Derek Holt. The economy ended the year with employment growth of 1.2 per cent, or 199,000 jobs, all of them full-time. But the second half of the year has shown only 7,000 new positions. In December, full-time employment fell by 25,500 while part-time rose by 43,100. In October and November, the economy shed 72,600 positions, 37,100 of them full-time. The struggling manufacturing sector racked up its biggest gain in a year, adding 30,400 jobs after losses of 79,000 in the previous three months. Manufacturing ended the year down 50,000 jobs from 12 months earlier.
CRA needs to change its culture and solve customer service issues: CFIB
TORONTO — Almost 40 per cent of small business owners and tax practitioners gave the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) a grade of D or F for its overall service to small business, according to a new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). When asked to grade the CRA’s overall service to small business, the majority of respondents gave the agency a grade of C or lower, found the survey of 10,600 small business owners and tax practitioners. The CRA deserves credit for implementing measures in recent years to make the organization more accountable to taxpayers, including the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, taxpayer ombudsman and ID numbers for call centre personnel, said the CFIB. But these measures are only useful if users are aware of them, the federation said. CFIB outlined recommendations to help the CRA change its culture and solve its customer service deficit, including taking steps that improve the training of front-line staff and communicating requirements in plain, easy-to-understand language.
OTTAWA — Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees increased 1.4 per cent to $885.36 in October from the previous month, according to Statistics Canada. On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings rose 2.7 per cent. Increases in average weekly earnings reflect many factors including wage growth and changes in the composition of employment by industry, occupation and level of job experience. The average work week can also impact average weekly earnings, but it was unchanged from October 2010 at 33 hours. The monthly increase in average weekly earnings was highest in finance and insurance, education, real estate and rental leasing, utilities, mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction and manufacturing. Year-over-year growth in average weekly earnings exceeded the national average of 2.7 per cent in four of Canada’s largest industrial sectors: administrative and support services; professional, scientific and technical services; health care and social assistance; and education. Average weekly earnings rose 6.8 per cent to $747.82 in administration and support services.
Number of EI recipients fell in October: StatsCan
OTTAWA — The number of people receiving regular employment insurance (EI) benefits declined slightly in October, according to Statistics Canada. The number of beneficiaries was down 5,400 — or one per cent — to 541,200, continuing a year-long downward trend. The number of beneficiaries fell in nine provinces, with the most notable declines occurring in Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba and Ontario. In New Brunswick, the number receiving benefits rose slightly. There were fewer beneficiaries in nine provinces. The most notable declines occurred in Alberta (2.5 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (2.2 per cent), Manitoba (2.1 per cent) and Ontario (1.7 per cent). The declines in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario extended a downward trend that began two years earlier. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the decrease followed four months of increases.
More EI claims in October
OTTAWA — There were more EI claims in October than September. The number of initial and renewal claims rose by 9,600 or 4.2 per cent to 240,700. Claims increased 7.7 per cent in Ontario, 4.8 per cent in Quebec, 4.7 per cent in Alberta and 4.4 per cent in British Columbia. The number of claims fell in 1.3 per cent in Nova Scotia, 1.2 per cent in Prince Edward Island and one per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador. The number of claims was virtually unchanged in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick.
Part-time employment rises in December
OTTAWA (Reuters) —Canadian employment rose by 17,500 jobs in December, roughly in line with expectations, but the new jobs were all part-time and not enough to offset the previous two months of declines, according to data released by Statistics Canada. The unemployment rate rose to its highest level since April despite the rise in employment, climbing to 7.5 per cent from November’s 7.4 per cent, as more people participated in the job market.
The number of employees on payrolls declined, with the self-employed category picking up the slack, said Scotia Capital economist Derek Holt. The economy ended the year with employment growth of 1.2 per cent, or 199,000 jobs, all of them full-time. But the second half of the year has shown only 7,000 new positions. In December, full-time employment fell by 25,500 while part-time rose by 43,100. In October and November, the economy shed 72,600 positions, 37,100 of them full-time. The struggling manufacturing sector racked up its biggest gain in a year, adding 30,400 jobs after losses of 79,000 in the previous three months. Manufacturing ended the year down 50,000 jobs from 12 months earlier.
CRA needs to change its culture and solve customer service issues: CFIB
TORONTO — Almost 40 per cent of small business owners and tax practitioners gave the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) a grade of D or F for its overall service to small business, according to a new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). When asked to grade the CRA’s overall service to small business, the majority of respondents gave the agency a grade of C or lower, found the survey of 10,600 small business owners and tax practitioners. The CRA deserves credit for implementing measures in recent years to make the organization more accountable to taxpayers, including the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, taxpayer ombudsman and ID numbers for call centre personnel, said the CFIB. But these measures are only useful if users are aware of them, the federation said. CFIB outlined recommendations to help the CRA change its culture and solve its customer service deficit, including taking steps that improve the training of front-line staff and communicating requirements in plain, easy-to-understand language.
