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Unemployment rate ticks higher in May for first time in nine months: StatCan

Canada’s jobless rate ticked higher to 5.2 per cent in May, marking the first increase since August 2022 as economists have been watching for any sign of a softening labour market.

Overall employment was little changed last month as the economy lost a modest 17,000 jobs, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

The job report comes one day after the Bank of Canada raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, bringing it to 4.75 per cent, the highest it’s been since 2001.

The decision was prompted by a string of hot economic data, including a surprisingly resilient labour market. The central bank said the resilience of the Canadian economy suggests getting inflation back to two per cent may be harder than it had previously expected.

Canada’s unemployment rate was previously hovering at five per cent for five consecutive months, just above the all-time low of 4.9 per cent reached last summer.

However, the federal agency noted in the report that job growth has moderated in recent months. It says monthly job gains between February and April averaged at 33,000. That follows the economy adding more than 300,000 jobs cumulatively between September and January.

According to Friday’s report, fewer people were working in business, building and other support services as well as professional, scientific and technical services last month.

Meanwhile, employment rose in manufacturing, other services and utilities.

Employment among youth was also down, suggesting a slow start to the summer hiring season.

The central bank has been particularly concerned about how fast wages are growing, arguing that wage growth in the four to five per cent range is incompatible with a two per cent inflation target.

The federal agency says wages were 5.1 per cent higher in May compared with a year ago.

Unemployment rates by province

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

• Newfoundland and Labrador 10.2 per cent (10.1)
• Prince Edward Island 7.2 per cent (7.1)
• Nova Scotia 5.7 per cent (6.3)
• New Brunswick 6.1 per cent (6.1)
• Quebec 4.0 per cent (4.1)
• Ontario 5.5 per cent (4.9)
• Manitoba 4.8 per cent (4.8)
• Saskatchewan 4.4 per cent (4.8)
• Alberta 5.7 per cent (5.9)
• British Columbia 5.0 per cent (5.0)

Unemployment rates by city

Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):

• St. John’s, N.L. 5.0 per cent (4.9)
• Halifax 4.9 per cent (4.7)
• Moncton, N.B. 5.5 per cent (5.5)
• Saint John, N.B. 5.2 per cent (5.5)
• Saguenay, Que. 3.4 per cent (3.4)
• Quebec City 2.6 per cent (1.7)
• Sherbrooke, Que. 4.6 per cent (4.9)
• Trois-Rivieres, Que. 3.9 per cent (3.8)
• Montreal 4.4 per cent (4.8)
• Gatineau, Que. 3.9 per cent (4.3)
• Ottawa 4.3 per cent (4.2)
• Kingston, Ont. 4.3 per cent (5.1)
• Belleville, Ont. 5.3 per cent (4.1)
• Peterborough, Ont. 7.1 per cent (5.3)
• Oshawa, Ont. 5.1 per cent (4.6)
• Toronto 5.9 per cent (5.6)
• Hamilton, Ont. 5.0 per cent (5.4)
• St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. 4.5 per cent (4.4)
• Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont. 6.3 per cent (6.1)
• Brantford, Ont. 4.1 per cent (5.0)
• Guelph, Ont. 3.9 per cent (3.3)
• London, Ont. 4.4 per cent (4.4)
• Windsor, Ont. 6.5 per cent (6.7)
• Barrie, Ont. 4.6 per cent (4.3)
• Greater Sudbury, Ont. 4.0 per cent (4.0)
• Thunder Bay, Ont. 3.8 per cent (3.9)
• Winnipeg 4.9 per cent (4.8)
• Regina 4.6 per cent (4.9)
• Saskatoon 4.8 per cent (4.6)
• Lethbridge, Alta. 5.3 per cent (4.9)
• Calgary 6.3 per cent (6.4)
• Edmonton 6.0 per cent (5.7)
• Kelowna, B.C. 3.1 per cent (3.2)
• Abbotsford-Mission, B.C. 4.9 per cent (5.3)
• Vancouver 5.1 per cent (5.1)
• Victoria 3.5 per cent (3.3)