increase; goods industries bear the losses

By Courtney Tower

Ottawa (MNI) - Canadian employment rose by 21,000 jobs in February and the annual unemployment rate declined by 0.1% to 8.2%, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

There were large gains in full-time work (+60,000), partially offset by a decline in part-time work (-39,000), continuing a trend since last summer of full-time work increasing.

Since last July, employment has risen by 159,000, still a long way from overcoming the 417,000 job losses between last July and the peak employment of October, 2008.

The goods-producing sector in February produced an increase of 18,000 jobs, with 17,000 coming from manufacturing and 11,000 from natural resources. The biggest area of lost jobs was construction (-11,000)

The largest services sector increases were +27,000 in accommodation and food services, and in business, building and other support services (+18,000) and health care and social assistance (+16,000). However, these were offset by losses of 34,000 in retail and wholesale trade, and of 35,000 in the finance, insurance, real estate and leasing and "other services" areas.

While manufacturing is showing job increases, employment in factories remains down 206,000 from the peak level in October, 2008. Employment in the goods sector overall is down 326,000 from that peak. Services, on the other hand, are 67,000 above the October, 2008, level.

Average hourly wages were up 2.4% in February compared with February a year ago. This is only 0.1% above the 2.3% noted for last November, which Statistics Canada had then described as "the lowest year-over-year growth since March, 2007."

** Market News International Ottawa **