Employment falls by 52,000 in August

Part-time employment declines by 92,000: Statistics Canada

Employment falls by 52,000 in August
Employment in Alberta increased by 16,000, and the unemployment rate remained at 6.7 per cent as more people participated in the labour market (2.3 per cent), mostly in full-time work. REUTERS/Todd Korol

Following two months of increases, Canadian employment fell by 52,000 in August. Part-time employment declined by 92,000 while full-time employment edged up, according to Statistics Canada

At the same time, the unemployment rate increased 0.2 percentage points to six per cent.

On a year-over-year basis, employment grew by 172,000 or 0.9 per cent. Full-time employment increased (326,000 or 2.2 per cent), while the number of people working part-time declined (154,000 or 4.3 per cent). Over the same period, total hours worked were up 1.6 per cent, said the government.

Provincial differences

After two consecutive monthly increases, employment in Ontario fell by 80,000 in August. On a year-over-year basis, employment increased by 79,000 (1.1 per cent). The Ontario unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points in August, to 5.7 per cent, said Statistics Canada.

In Ontario, full-time employment held steady compared with the previous month, with year-over-year gains totalling 172,000 (three per cent). Part-time employment fell by 80,000 in August, following a similar increase in July. In the 12 months to August, part-time work decreased by 93,000 (6.7 per cent).

Employment in Alberta increased by 16,000, and the unemployment rate remained at 6.7 per cent as more people participated in the labour market, said the government. Compared with August 2017, employment grew by 53,000 (2.3 per cent), mostly in full-time work.

In Manitoba, employment rose by 2,600, driven by gains in part-time work, and the unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was unchanged, while the unemployment rate increased 0.8 percentage points as more people looked for work.

In British Columbia, employment edged up and the unemployment rate increased 0.3 percentage points to 5.3 per cent as more people searched for work. Compared with a year earlier, employment was virtually unchanged, said Statistics Canada.

Employment in Quebec was virtually unchanged and the unemployment rate remained at 5.6 per cent. On a year-over-year basis, employment was little changed as decreases in part-time work offset gains in full-time work.

Industry perspective

In August, employment fell by 22,000 in professional, scientific and technical services, largely in Ontario. On a year-over-year basis, employment was little changed in this industry at the national level.

The number of people working in wholesale and retail trade declined by 20,000, driven by Quebec and Ontario. On a year-over-year basis, employment in this industry fell by 51,000 (1.8 per cent), said Statistics Canada.

In construction, employment decreased by 16,000. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was little changed.

On the other hand, employment in business, building and other support services increased by 10,000, bringing year-over-year gains to 26,000 (3.4 per cent).

Employment for public sector employees fell by 38,000 (one per cent) while there was little change among employees in the private sector. Compared with 12 months earlier, the number of public sector employees rose by 102,000 (2.7 per cent). At the same time, there was little change for private sector employees, said the government.

Age differences

In August, the overall decline in employment was driven by people aged 55 and over. Employment among men in this age group fell by 22,000 (one per cent) and their unemployment rate was 5.6 per cent, said Statistics Canada.

For women in this age group, employment declined by 28,000 (1.5 per cent) while their unemployment rate rose 0.6 percentage points to 4.8 per cent. On a year-over-year basis, employment for those aged 55 and over rose 56,000 (1.4 per cent).

Employment was little changed for people in the core-aged group (25 to 54). Their unemployment rate was up 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 per cent as more people looked for work. On a year-over-year basis, employment in this age group increased by 97,000, mostly among women, said the government.

Among 15- to 24-year-olds, employment and the unemployment rate were little changed in August compared with the previous month as well as with 12 months earlier. On both a month-to-month and year-over-year basis, increases in full-time work were offset by declines in part-time work.

For returning students aged 15 to 24, average employment for the summer (that is, from May to August) was little changed compared with the summer of 2017, said Statistics Canada. Their unemployment rate was 13.4 per cent, down 0.9 percentage points compared with the summer of 2017. Over the same period, their average employment rate was little changed at 50.4 per cent.

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