More jobs – and job seekers — in city last month

Employment in Greater Sudbury inched up by 0.1 per cent in June, as growth in the number of people looking for work offset an increase in the number of jobs in the city.

Unemployment was 7.1 per cent last month, Statistics Canada reported Friday. The number of people with jobs in Greater Sudbury increased by about 500, but labour force grew by 700, leading to the slight rate increase.

The jobs picture is almost identical to June 2014, when unemployment stood at seven per cent. However, in a year, the city's labour force has grown from 88,100 to 91,200 people. And the number of people with jobs has grown by 2,800, from 81,900 in June 2014, to 84,700 last month.

Province-wide, Ontario had an unemployment rate of 6.5 per cent, similar to last month, although the number of people with jobs grew by 92,000 compared to the same period in 2014, and the jobless rate has dropped by 0.8 per cent.

Nationally, StatsCan said employment was virtually unchanged in June, as gains in full-time work were offset by losses in part time. The unemployment rate held steady at 6.8 per cent for the fifth consecutive month.

“Following gains of 63,000 (+0.4 per cent) in the first quarter of 2015, employment grew by 33,000 (+0.2 per cent) in the second quarter,” StatsCan said in a news release. “Full-time work increased by 143,000 in the second quarter, while part-time work declined by 110,000 over the same period.”

In June, gains of 65,000 in full-time jobs across the country were offset by losses of 71,000 in part time work.

“Employment declined for youths aged 15 to 24 and increased for men aged 55 and over,” the release said. “There was little change among the other demographic groups.”

In other provinces, employment fell in Quebec and New Brunswick, while it increased in British Columbia and in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In June, public sector employment increased, while both self-employment and the number of private sector employees were little changed.

Adjusted to methods used in the United States, the unemployment rate in Canada was 5.8 per cent in June, compared with 5.3 per cent in the United States.