by Strac Ivanov

Canada’s economy created 18,000 new jobs in the month of December. The unemployment rate edged up to 7.5% (from 7.4% in November) - but only because more people joined the labour force. Ironically, this is actually good news: It indicates that more unemployed people feel that they have decent enough chances to find work. But there is less to December’s employment growth numbers than meets the eye.
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Statistics Canada released its monthly Labour Market Survey for November. It shows that, following a notable decrease last month, Canada’s economy lost 19,000 jobs again in November, raising the unemployment rate to 7.4 percent.  However, despite recent declines, employment still remains up 1.2 percent from November 2010.  And in Ontario, employment actually increased, and unemployment declined. (more…)

From Brittney Windatt and Strac Ivanov 

Following an increase in September, Statistics Canada reports an employment decline of 54,000 in October – all in full time, and predominantly in Ontario.  October’s loss pushed the unemployment rate up 0.2 percentage points to 7.3 percent.

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By Brittney Windatt and Strac Ivanov

The month of September saw an employment increase of 61,000, following two months of little change, according to the September Labour Market Survey recently released by Statistics Canada.  This increase caused the unemployment rate to shift down 0.2 percentage points to 7.1 percent, representing the lowest rate since December 2008.  From September 2010 to September 2011, employment has grown by 1.7 percent, primarily in Ontario and Alberta.  Hiring demand in Ontario’s York Region also reached its highest level in August since 2008, and remained at a healthy level in September.
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From Brittney Windatt

Employment was little changed for the second consecutive month in August but the unemployment rate rose 0.1 percent to 7.3 percent.  This comes in a month in which the stock markets went through a wild roller coaster ride and we found that GDP growth in the second quarter of this year had turned negative (making it quite likely that we may be in a new recession).  The details do give some reasons for concern.
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Our community partners at Sheridan College in Oakville have just sent us information about a free workshop for employers that they are hosting in partnership with the Peel Halton Workforce Development Group, titled “A World of Talen at Your Doorsteps”. The workshop’s focus is on recruiting and retain immigrants, in light of the fact that by 2013, immigration to Canada will account for virtually all of the net job growth. (more…)

by Brittney Windatt and Strac Ivanov

According to the Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, employment had little change following three consecutive months of small increases.  The unemployment rate actually fell 0.2 percent to 7.2 percent, but this was mainly due to fewer people participating in the labour market (some simply stopped looking) – and not thanks to job creation.  All this news comes in the middle of the largest stock market selloff since the one in 2008 that marked the start of the Great Recession. A selloff which, as of August 8th,  is still ongoing – and may still end up surpassing even the 2008 meltdown.
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from Brittney Windatt

Employment in Canada grew by 28,000 in June, continuing its rise for the third consecutive month.  According to June’s labour market survey report from Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate remains at 7.4 percent as the number of people participating in the labour market increased; however, since mid-2009, the unemployment rate has declined.

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from Brittney Windatt

The month of May brought a 1.6 percent increase in total employment over the previous 12 months, causing unemployment to drop 0.2 percent to 7.4 percent.  But a closer look paints a less optimistic picture: The increase in employment for the month of May was driven largely by a decline in the number of people looking for work and by more people becoming self-employed.  Private sector jobs growth remains weak.
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March 2011 was largely dominated by bad news for the economy: Most notably the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the deepening of the Libyan conflict. The disaster in Japan hit Canada’s local economy by disrupting the supply chains of local manufacturers. In Ontario, the impact on the automotive sector was particularly severe. The Honda plant in Alliston, for example, cut production by more than 50% indefinitely, apparently because the Japanese disaster made it impossible for it to source electrical parts that go into vehicles it assembles. The Libyan crisis also lead to some (potential as well as real) disruptions in the oil supply.  Employers typically respond to such signs of uncertainty by placing hiring decision on the backburner until the future becomes more clear (and brighter). So it was quite refreshing to see that Canada’s job market did actually quite well in March.
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