Statistics Canada reports that in Quebec, the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 in May, to 4.2%. (Photo: The Canadian Press)
Employment rose by 40,000 in May in Canada and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 5.1%; it was a new record low.
Statistics Canada attributes the rise in employment mainly to full-time work, which rose 0.9%.
Employment in the service sector rose 0.5% in May, and the rise was spread across several sectors, including accommodation and food services. In contrast, employment in the goods sector fell 1%, mainly due to the 2.4% drop in manufacturing.
The unemployment rate for people aged 25 to 54 was 4.3% in May, regarding the same as the previous month.
Statistics Canada reports that in Quebec, the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 in May, to 4.2%. Employment was little changed following declining in April, as an increase in full-time work was offset by a decline in part-time work. There was a greater number of Quebecers active in the labor market and employment changed little, which explains the rise in the unemployment rate.
New Brunswick was the only province to post a drop in employment in May, of 1%, which partly offset the increases observed in March and April. The unemployment rate was little changed, standing at 7.1% compared to 7% in April.
During the same period, the unemployment rate jumped from 6% to 6.7% in Nova Scotia and fell from 8.1% to 7.8% in Prince Edward Island.
Separately, Statistics Canada observed that the average hourly wage of all employees rose 3.9% year-over-year in Canada in May, up from the 3.3% increase seen in April.
