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.

By Courtney Tower

OTTAWA (MNI) - Canadian trade overall was weaker in January than in December but zoomed to a C$799 million surplus from $75 million, on a slight increase in exports overweighed by a larger decline in imports.

By Courtney Tower

OTTAWA (MNI) - The Bank of Canada Tuesday maintained its economy-stimulating policy interest rate at 0.25% and repeated pledges to keep it there through the first half of this year, while leaving subtle room to change its mind next April.

By Courtney Tower

OTTAWA (MNI) - Canada's economy grew by 5.0% at an annualized rate in the fourth quarter of 2009, marking an economic recovery somewhat ahead of analysts' expectations of 4.5% growth.

Real GDP growth was 1.2% in the fourth quarter over the third, said by Statistics Canada to be "the largest quarterly increase since the third quarter of 2000."

By Courtney Tower

OTTTAWA (MNI) - Canadian retail sales fell in November, declining by 0.3% to C$35.2 billion, after solid increases for three consecutive months, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

Retail sales were unchanged from the previous month, at $27.6 billion, when the automobile sector (but not gasoline), is excluded from the retail trade survey. Total sales were down from increases of 1.0%, 1.1%, and 1.0%, in August, September and October (the latter revised from +0.8%).

By Courtney Tower

OTTAWA (MNI) - Annual inflation climbed to 1.3% in Canada in December, primarily on a 25.6% increase in gasoline prices over December of 2009, although consumer prices fell 0.3% on the month.

By Courtney Tower

OTTAWA (MNI) - The Bank of Canada Tuesday maintained its policy interest rate at an economy-stimulating 0.25%, saying Canadian and global growth continues to depend upon life supports.

By Courtney Tower

OTTAWA (MNI) - The Bank of Canada Tuesday maintained its policy interest rate at an economy-stimulating 0.25%, saying Canadian and global growth continues to depend upon life supports.