Manufacturing employment down in March: Statistics Canada

Employment in Canada’s manufacturing industries dropped by 9,400 (0.5 percent) in March compared to the previous month, though employment in manufacturing is up two percent over March 2010 levels, according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for March 2011.

Overall employment in Canada was unchanged in March. Full-time employment rose by 91,000 in March, and was offset by a decline of 92,000 in part-time. This large full-time increase brought gains in full-time employment to 251,000 (up 1.8 percent) over the past 12 months, while part-time increased by 54,000 (up 1.7 percent). The unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to 7.7 percent. Over the past 12 months, employment has risen by 1.8 percent (up 305,000).

There were employment gains in accommodation and food services (up 36,000), as well as construction (up 24,000) in March, and losses in manufacturing, health care and social assistance (down 17,000), and in public administration (down 13,000).

In March, employment declined in Quebec, edging down 15,000, and increased in Prince Edward Island by 1,400. There were no notable changes in overall employment in the other provinces.

www.statcan.gc.ca