Canada adds fewer jobs than expected in April, unemployment rate falls

Average hourly wage growth remains muted, rising 0.5 per cent

Canada adds fewer jobs than expected in April, unemployment rate falls
A woman walks through the Spring National Job Fair and Training Expo in Toronto, April 3, 2014. REUTERS/Aaron Harris/File Photo

OTTAWA (Reuters) — The Canadian economy added fewer jobs than expected in April, while the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since the global financial crisis as the number of job-seeking youths declined, data from Statistics Canada showed on Friday.

Employers added 3,200 jobs last month, short of economists' forecasts for a gain of 10,000. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 6.5 per cent from 6.7 per cent, the lowest since October 2008.

A drop in 31,200 full-time jobs in April was offset by an increase in 34,300 part-time positions.

Over the last six months, 164,000 full-time positions have been created, compared with a decline of 34,000 part-time jobs.

Goods-producing industries added 4,200 jobs, led by increased hiring in the agriculture and natural resources sectors.

The services sector shed 1,000 jobs, with fewer positions in the accommodation and trade sectors, though this was partly offset by hiring in the educational and healthcare industries.

Average hourly wage growth remained muted, rising just 0.5 per cent in April compared with a year earlier. The Bank of Canada has pointed to the subdued wage growth as evidence of material slack in the economy.

Latest stories