MNI 5 THINGS: Canada Feb Jobs Rise 55.9K On Full-Time>

--5 Things We Learned From Canadian Labor Force Survey Data

By Courtney Tower

     OTTAWA (MNI) - The following are the key points from the February 

data on the Canadian Labor Force Survey released Friday by Statistics 

Canada: 

     - Employment rose strongly  for the second month, +55.9K in 

February versus +66.8K in January, all in full-time work.The 

unemployment rate stayed at 5.8% as the numbers of Canadians looking for 

work held neaqrly steady with a participation rate of  65.8 versus 

65.6 the previous month. Full-time employment rose by 67.4K in February 

while part-time employment declined by -11.6K. 

     - Total employment now is up 369,000 jobs on the year or 2.0%. 

Full-time work over the 12 months to February rose by 266,000 and 

part-time by 103,000. The Bank of Canada this week, disappointed 

with low-growth data on business investment, exports and consumer 

spending, pointed to the strong labor market and rising worker wages as 

somewhat offsetting elements in the economy. The BOC predicted what it 

called a "detour" in growth in the first half of this year but a pickup 

late in the year due to the jobs markewt and higher wages. 

     - Average hourly wages for permanent workers, year on year, were 

recorded Friday at 2.25% This year-on-year number in February was 

"virtually unchanged"  from the previous month, Statistics Canada said.

     - The province of Ontario, the largest province in population and 

in manufacturing, scorfed mostof the job increases, rising by 37,000 on 

gains of 59,000 in full-time work. Employment was down in one province, 

Manitoba, while there was little change in the remaining eight 

provinces. In the core age 15-24 age group

c

     - Employees in the core aged group (25 to 54) drove the  September 

gains. Jobs were up by 34,300 for men and by 20,000 for women. The total 

unemployment rate for the core aged group fell by 0.2 percentage points 

to 5.1% for men and 5.0% for women. Year-over-year, employment for men 

was up by 80,000 or 1.3%, the report said, and for women employment was 

up 80,000 or 1.3%. Employment "held steady for the other demographic 

groups." 

     - The goods sector lost 22,000 jobs in the third quarter, against a 

gain of 1,700 in the second quarter. Services, on the other hand, gained 

87,700 jobs in the third quarter and 21,600 in the second. In September, 

employment was up 44,900 in goods sectors and 18,400 in services. There 

were substantial gains in construction (+28,000) finance, insurance, 

real estate and leasing (+13,100) in public administration (+12,100) and 

in agriculture (+9,300). There were decreases for information, culture 

and recreation (-17,200), and for business, building and other support 

services (-10,200). Among the provinces, the main gainers were Ontario 

with an increase of 36,100 jobs, the third increase in four months, and 

British Columbia (+33,300). 

--MNI Ottawa Bureau; email: yali.ndiaye@marketnews.com 

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