Manufacturing employment up in July

After dropping by 14,000 in June, factory employment rose by 29,000 in July, the largest increase the sector has seen in two years, according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for July 2010. With this increase, manufacturing employment returns to its July 2009 levels.

Overall, employment was little changed in July, with full-time declines – down 139,000 – mostly offset by part-time gains – up 130,000. The unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage points to eight percent. Since the start of the upward trend in July 2009, employment has risen by 2.3 percent, up 394,000.

In July, employment decreased in educational services and in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing. At the same time, there were increases in manufacturing and public administration.

Quebec employment decreased by 21,000 in July, and Ontario edged down by 15,000, while British Columbia posted gains of 16,000, and Alberta employment increased for the fourth consecutive month, up 9,000. In all other provinces, employment was little changed.

Since the start of the upward trend in employment in July 2009, the industries with the fastest rates of growth were construction (up 8.6 percent); professional, scientific and technical services (up 7.5 percent); and health care and social assistance (up 6.2 percent). Over the same period, the fastest declines were observed in agriculture (down 4.9 percent) and "other services," such as repair and maintenance (down three percent).