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City added jobs in April, but unemployment edges up to 7.2%

About 100 new jobs offset by surge in the number of people looking for work
unemployment
The city's unemployment rate edged up to 7.2 per cent because of an increase in the number of people looking for work. (File)

Greater Sudbury added jobs in April, but the city's unemployment rate edged up to 7.2 per cent because of an increase in the number of people looking for work.

The number of people working increased by about 100 last month compared to March, rising to 80,200. But unemployment increased by 0.4 per cent because the size of the labour force – Statistics Canada's estimate of how many people are actively looking for work – increased to 86,300 from 85,800 from March to April.

The rate in May 2018 was 6.7 per cent, when 80,500 people were working out of a workforce of 86,200.

In Ontario, employment held steady in April and the unemployment rate was little changed at 5.6 per cent. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province rose by 133,000 or 1.9 per cent, all in full-time work. 

Nationally, the unemployment rate stayed at its record low of 5.8 per cent for a third-straight month. It matched the reading's lowest mark since the agency started measuring the indicator in 1976.

The participation rate, however, edged down in April to 65.4 per cent, from 65.5 per cent in March, as fewer people looked for work.

The agency said the economy produced 28,800 full-time jobs last month and shed 30,000 part-time positions. The country also saw a decrease of 13,600 positions in the public sector, while the number of private-sector jobs rose by 28,000.

Goods-producing industries shed 15,900 positions, mostly in construction. Services sectors, meanwhile, created 14,800 jobs following big increases in professional, scientific and technical services, as well as in accommodation and food services.

The youth unemployment rate — for people aged 15 to 24 — increased in April to 11.1 per cent following a net gain of 17,700 new jobs. The labour force participation rate for young people slipped to 63.4 per cent from 63.8 per cent.

Compared with 12 months earlier, the employment was up 1.5 per cent following the creation of 278,300 jobs, which was fuelled by 378,300 new full-time positions.

– Files from Canadian Press


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