| The Canadian job market seems to be recovering. | | | | other support services. The manufacturing sector |
| Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey reported | | | | continued to lose jobs in August while construction |
| that employment increased by 27,000 in August | | | | was up slightly. According to the report, "employment |
| 2009. The biggest gains were in part-time work | | | | in construction has stabilized. |
| where employment rose by 31,000, and the private | | | | Employment was up in most provinces. Manitoba's |
| sector, in which jobs increased by 49,000. According | | | | employment was up but the unemployment rate |
| to the report, full-time work has dropped by 486,000 | | | | edged up to 5.7% as more people participated in the |
| (-3.5%) since October 2008. However, taking into | | | | job market. Employment was also up In |
| account the increase in the number of jobs in the | | | | Newfoundland and Labrador, and the unemployment |
| part time sector of 99,000 (+3.1%), total | | | | rate fell 1.5 percentage points to 15.6%. Employment |
| employment has fallen by 387,000 (-2.3%). | | | | in Ontario increased slightly as it did in July. There |
| Perhaps most encouraging is the fact that | | | | wasn't much change in Quebec's employment |
| employment in Canada has fallen by only 31,000 over | | | | numbers in August. Saskatchewan showed a "notable |
| the last five months, compared to 357,000 during the | | | | decline" in jobs, according to the report. |
| five months following October 2008. Although it's | | | | Despite the apparent improvements in the Canadian |
| going to take some time before the job market | | | | job market, if you're looking for a job right now, |
| really picks, up the trend is positive and it appears | | | | career opportunities probably don't seem to be |
| that the worst is over. | | | | plentiful. I believe, however, that the August job |
| Industries such as retail, wholesale, finance, insurance, | | | | numbers are the beginning of a positive trend. While |
| real estate and leasing saw increases in the number | | | | it may take time to recover, it's clear that that the |
| of jobs in August. The greatest job increases were in | | | | recovery in the Canadian job market has begun. |
| retail and wholesale trade, followed by finance, | | | | Although we shouldn't read too much into a one |
| insurance, real estate and leasing. Employment also | | | | month report, it's encouraging that the upturn in the |
| increased in most service industries. However, total | | | | job market isn't limited to a small number of |
| job gains were reduced in part by losses in certain | | | | industries and that several provinces saw |
| services, including business, building, educational and | | | | improvements. |