Devon / Depositphotos.com
OTTAWA — Unemployment is up in Canada and employment in rural and small-town Canada showed the largest drop, according to new data from Statistics Canada highlighting pressure in parts of the labour market outside major urban centres.
The agency says employment in rural and small-town areas fell by 149,200 positions in March compared with a year earlier, a decline of 5.5 per cent, while the unemployment rate rose to 6.8 per cent from 6.4 per cent.
Despite the overall drop, some sectors saw gains over the same period, including wholesale and retail trade, agriculture, finance, real estate and public administration.
The largest declines were recorded in manufacturing and educational services, where employment fell significantly year over year.
The data also points to regional differences. Rural areas in British Columbia and Ontario reported increases in unemployment rates, while Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador saw declines.
Statistics Canada says the figures are based on monthly Labour Force Survey data and are not seasonally adjusted, meaning short-term fluctuations may be more pronounced.
The agency says conditions in rural labour markets continue to vary widely depending on region and industry.
Comments