April 7, 2018 – March was another month of gains on the Canada jobs front, with just over 32,000 more people in work and the Canada unemployment rate steady at 5.8 per cent.
Provincially, Quebec was the biggest mover, with 16,000 jobs added and an unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent.
Canada employment has now been trending upwards since 2016, in a period of steady growth for the Canadian economy.
Over the last 12 months, employment has risen by nearly 300,000, with the total hours work rising by 2.2 per cent.
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The March Labour Force Survey saw an employment increase of 26,000 for women aged 25 to 54, feeding a 12-month rise of 31,000 for the demographic.
Although employment among men in the same age-group fell in March, it has still increased by 50,000 over the last 12 months.
Young people aged 15 to 24 saw an employment gain of 18,000 in March, while people aged 55 and older saw little change in their employment numbers.
Canada Jobs Snapshot End March
| Unemployment rate (%) | 5.8 |
| Employment rate (%) | 61.7 |
| Labour force participation rate (%) | 65.5 |
| Number unemployed | 1,142,100 |
| Number working | 18,604,800 |
| Youth (15-24) unemployment rate (%) | 10.9 |
| Men (over 25) unemployment rate (%) | 5.1 |
| Women (over 25) unemployment rate (%) | 4.8 |
Source: Statistics Canada
Provincial Canada Jobs Picture
Quebec’s March gains mean the French-speaking province has now added 85,000 jobs in the last 12 months, an increase of 2 per cent. Full-time employment is up 4.5 per cent in that time.
Saskatchewan also had a good month, adding 4,200 jobs with an unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent. The numbers are unchanged for the last 12 months.
Alberta added 8,300 jobs in March and 41,000 on the year, with unemployment now at 6.3 per cent. The oil-rich province’s recovery continues from a peak unemployment of 9 per cent in fall 2016.
There were 10,600 jobs added in Ontario, with an unemployment rate of 5.5 per cent. Year-on-year figures show an employment increase of 130,000 in Canada’s largest province, an increase of 1.8 per cent.
British Columbia continues to have the lowest unemployment rate f all the provinces at 4.7 per cent, with a 12-month jobs growth rate of 33,000.
Jobs Data in the Provinces
| Jobs change March | Unemployment rate (%) | |
| 1) British Columbia | -3,900 | 4.7 |
| 2) Ontario | 10,600 | 5.5 |
| 3) Quebec | 16,000 | 5.6 |
| 4) Saskatchewan | 4,200 | 5.8 |
| 5) Manitoba | 900 | 6.2 |
| 6) Alberta | 8,300 | 6.3 |
| 7) Nova Scotia | -1,300 | 7.4 |
| 8) New Brunswick | -1,800 | 8.0 |
| 9) Prince Edward Island | -200 | 10.3 |
| 10) Newfoundland & Labrador | -400 | 14.2 |
| CANADA | 32,300 | 5.8 |
Source: Statistics Canada
Canada Jobs Data By Industry
Taking an industry perspective, the major mover in March was construction, adding 18,000 jobs for growth of 54,000 in the last 12 months.
Other growth industries included public administration (12,000) and agriculture (8,100), while transportation and warehousing has added 56,000 jobs over the last 12 months.
The last 12 months have also seen solid gains in public sector and private sector employment (123,000 and 77,000 respectively), while the number of self-employed people increased by 97,000.
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