Employment in Canada was little changed in October, down 4,700, following declines of 68,000 in September and 66,000 in August, Statistics Canada reported on Friday. The unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.7 percent as more people searched for work, the employment rate fell 0.1 points to 60.5 percent, and the participation rate held at 64.8 percent. Over the 12 months to October, employment recorded little net variation, up 17,000, and private sector employment fell 53,000 in October, its first decline since February, while self-employment rose 37,000.
Wholesale and retail trade shed 29,000 jobs, while construction added 16,000 and educational services added 15,000, partly offsetting September’s education decline. Alberta lost 24,000 jobs and its unemployment rate rose 0.8 points to 7.3 percent, while British Columbia added 12,000. Average hourly wages rose 2.2 percent year over year to 37.89 dollars, slowing from 3.4 percent in September, and youth unemployment rose 0.7 points to 13.7 percent.