Canadian unemployment rate climbs as job growth stalls

Which sectors are seeing gains and losses?

Some industries saw a boost in August. Educational services led the way, adding 27,000 new positions, a solid 1.7% increase.

The health care and social assistance sector also saw growth, with 25,000 jobs added. These sectors have been on a positive trajectory for a while now, with health care leading employment gains over the last 12 months.

On the flip side, several key industries took a hit. Jobs in “other services” dropped by 19,000, while professional, scientific, and technical services lost 16,000 positions. The utilities and natural resources sectors also faced challenges, shedding nearly 13,000 jobs between them.

One of the more concerning trends in August was the shift from full-time to part-time jobs. While part-time work grew by 66,000 positions, full-time employment dropped by 44,000.

“Focus on paychecks has taken a back seat in recent months, not only because of the weaker headline job numbers, but also because strong wage gains haven’t precluded inflation from easing, nor the Bank of Canada from cutting rates,” said Bernard.