Features Workforce Statistics
Unemployment rate rises to 6.1 per cent in March: Statistics Canada

Canada’s national unemployment rate jumped 0.3 percentage points, rising to 6.1 per cent in March, according to Statistics Canada. It also marked the sixth straight month where the employment rate fell.

The employment rate is a measure of the proportion of the population aged 15 and over who are employed. In March, that figure stood at 61.4 per cent.

Overall, employment declined slightly (down 2,200 jobs) compared to the previous month. On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was up by one percentage point, it said.

Declines in youth unemployment, accommodation and food services

In March, employment declined among youth aged 15 to 24 (-28,000; -1.0 per cent), while it rose among core-aged men (aged 25 to 54) (+20,000; +0.3 per cent). Employment was little changed among core-aged women, as well as among women and men aged 55 and older.

There were fewer people employed in accommodation and food services (-27,000; -2.4 per cent), wholesale and retail trade (-23,000; -0.8 per cent) and professional, scientific and technical services (-20,000; -1.0 per cent) in March. Employment increased in four industries, led by health care and social assistance (+40,000; +1.5 per cent).

Employment falls in Quebec, rises in Ontario

Employment decreased in Quebec (-18,000; -0.4 per cent), Saskatchewan (-6,000; -1.0 per cent) and Manitoba (-4,300; -0.6 per cent) in March, while it increased in Ontario (+26,000; +0.3 per cent).

Total hours worked in March were virtually unchanged in the month but were up 0.7% compared with 12 months earlier.

Average hourly wages among employees rose 5.1 per cent (+$1.69 to $34.81) on a year-over-year basis in March, following growth of 5.0 per cent in February (not seasonally adjusted).

Unemployment rate by province

Here are the jobless rates last month by province (numbers from the previous month in brackets):

• Newfoundland and Labrador 10.1 per cent (10.2)
• Prince Edward Island 7.4 per cent (7.0)
• Nova Scotia 6.2 per cent (6.0)
• New Brunswick 7.8 per cent (6.9)
• Quebec 5.0 per cent (4.7)
• Ontario 6.7 per cent (6.5)
• Manitoba 5.0 per cent (4.5)
• Saskatchewan 5.4 per cent (5.0)
• Alberta 6.3 per cent (6.2)
• British Columbia 5.5 per cent (5.2)

Unemployment rate by city

Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):

• St. John’s, N.L. 6.4 per cent (6.3)
• Halifax 5.2 per cent (5.0)
• Moncton, N.B. 5.1 per cent (5.1)
• Saint John, N.B. 5.7 per cent (4.9)
• Saguenay, Que. 2.2 per cent (2.5)
• Quebec City 3.1 per cent (2.9)
• Sherbrooke, Que. 5.5 per cent (5.1)
• Trois-Rivières, Que. 5.7 per cent (5.9)
• Montreal 5.7 per cent (5.7)
• Gatineau, Que. 4.7 per cent (4.7)
• Ottawa 4.9 per cent (4.7)
• Kingston, Ont. 7.0 per cent (6.5)
• Belleville, Ont. 4.4 per cent (4.7)
• Peterborough, Ont. 5.8 per cent (5.5)
• Oshawa, Ont. 5.2 per cent (5.7)
• Toronto 7.5 per cent (7.1)
• Hamilton, Ont. 6.4 per cent (6.4)
• St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. 7.6 per cent (7.4)
• Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont. 6.6 per cent (6.7)
• Brantford, Ont. 4.9 per cent (4.9)
• Guelph, Ont. 3.8 per cent (3.9)
• London, Ont. 6.4 per cent (5.9)
• Windsor, Ont. 7.5 per cent (7.4)
• Barrie, Ont. 6.8 per cent (7.4)
• Greater Sudbury, Ont. 5.6 per cent (5.9)
• Thunder Bay, Ont. 4.4 per cent (3.9)
• Winnipeg 4.4 per cent (4.1)
• Regina 5.4 per cent (4.8)
• Saskatoon 5.2 per cent (5.2)
• Lethbridge, Alta. 6.6 per cent (6.3)
• Calgary 6.5 per cent (6.1)
• Edmonton 6.4 per cent (6.6)
• Kelowna, B.C. 5.4 per cent (5.5)
• Abbotsford-Mission, B.C. 4.5 per cent (4.3)
• Vancouver 5.4 per cent (5.6)
• Victoria 4.8 per cent (4.3)

With files from the Canadian Press