OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the economy added 303,000 jobs in in March as employment increased, with gains in sectors hardest hit by public health restrictions.
In March, Statistics Canada says there were about 95,000 more retail jobs, fully recouping losses sustained in January lockdowns, and an employment bump of 21,000 in the accommodation and food services sector.
The figure released this morning outpaced the 259,000 gain seen in February that, at the time, whipped past expectations.
The March increase puts employment 296,000 shy of the pre-COVID level in February 2020, or roughly 1.5 per cent of pre-crisis levels.
It also sent the unemployment rate to 7.5 per cent, down from 8.2 per cent in February, bringing the rate to a pandemic-era low.
The jobs numbers come just over a week before the federal Liberals release a budget where employment levels are expected to be used as a gauge for planned stimulus measures.
Here’s a quick look at Canada’s March employment (numbers from the previous month in brackets):
- Unemployment rate: 7.5 per cent (8.2)
- Employment rate: 60.3 per cent (59.4)
- Participation rate: 65.2 per cent (64.7)
- Number unemployed: 1,516,700 (1,665,100)
- Number working: 18,834,300 (18,531,200)
- Youth (15-24 years) unemployment rate: 14.0 per cent (17.1)
- Men (25 plus) unemployment rate: 6.6 per cent (6.9)
- Women (25 plus) unemployment rate: 6.2 per cent (6.7)
Here are the jobless rates last month by province (numbers from the previous month in brackets):
- Newfoundland and Labrador 12.4 per cent (15.3)
- Prince Edward Island 8.1 per cent (9.2)
- Nova Scotia 8.6 per cent (8.1)
- New Brunswick 9.2 per cent (8.9)
- Quebec 6.4 per cent (6.4)
- Ontario 7.5 per cent (9.2)
- Manitoba 6.8 per cent (6.8)
- Saskatchewan 7.3 per cent (7.3)
- Alberta 9.1 per cent (9.9)
- British Columbia 6.9 per cent (6.9)
Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):
- St. John’s, N.L. 9.5 per cent (9.4)
- Halifax 8.2 per cent (8.1)
- Moncton, N.B. 9.6 per cent (9.2)
- Saint John, N.B. 10.9 per cent (12.2)
- Saguenay, Que. 5.9 per cent (5.9)
- Quebec City 4.9 per cent (5.0)
- Sherbrooke, Que. 5.7 per cent (6.2)
- Trois-Rivieres, Que. 6.4 per cent (6.7)
- Montreal 8.3 per cent (8.2)
- Gatineau, Que. 7.3 per cent (7.6)
- Ottawa 6.3 per cent (6.1)
- Kingston, Ont. 7.7 per cent (7.3)
- Peterborough, Ont. 9.4 per cent (12.5)
- Oshawa, Ont. 7.9 per cent (8.0)
- Toronto 10.3 per cent (11.1)
- Hamilton, Ont. 6.4 per cent (7.1)
- St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. 12.2 per cent (12.4)
- Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont. 7.0 per cent (7.8)
- Brantford, Ont. 7.2 per cent (7.6)
- Guelph, Ont. 9.0 per cent (7.8)
- London, Ont. 7.0 per cent (6.9)
- Windsor, Ont. 9.8 per cent (10.7)
- Barrie, Ont. 11.0 per cent (13.0)
- Greater Sudbury, Ont. 8.4 per cent (8.7)
- Thunder Bay, Ont. 8.4 per cent (8.3)
- Winnipeg 7.8 per cent (8.3)
- Regina 8.6 per cent (8.5)
- Saskatoon 8.2 per cent (8.4)
- Calgary 10.0 per cent (10.6)
- Edmonton 11.2 per cent (11.6)
- Kelowna, B.C. 5.0 per cent (5.2)
- Abbotsford-Mission, B.C. 6.3 per cent (7.4)
- Vancouver 8.0 per cent (7.9)
- Victoria 5.7 per cent (4.9)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2021
