Canada’s government gathering agency Statistics Canada reported Friday (May 9) that the unemployment rate in April was unchanged from March at 6.9%, even though employment decreased by 29,000 jobs compared to March, 2014.
According to the agency’s Labour Force Survey, in April, employment was down in the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Prince Edward Island, while it increased in Saskatchewan.
Employment declined among women aged 25 to 54 and youths aged 15 to 24, though it increased among women 55 and over.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s Paul Vieira “Reaction among economists was nearly unanimous. Canada’s April jobs report was a dud.” “Ugly” and a “mess,” said analysts at Bank of Nova Scotia. “Lousy,” according to Desjardins Capital Markets.
According to Canadian Labour Congress economist and Broadbent Institute fellow Angella MacEwen “If underemployed workers counted, it would be clear that there hasn’t been a recovery for too many of us.”
Another labour economist Jim Stanford, of the union Unifor, writes: “Today’s labour force numbers are ugly, there’s no other word for it. Employment down 29,000 jobs. Paid employment (ie. not counting self-employment) down 46,000 jobs. The only reason the unemployment rate held steady (at 6.9%) is because labour force participation fell again: by almost 2 tenths of a point, to just over 66%.”
More information:
Statistics Canada – Labour Force Survey, April 2014 – here
Wall Street Journal/Paul Vieira – A Closer Look at Canada’s “Ugly” Jobs Report – here
Canadian Press/Andy Blatchford – Jobs data released amid added scrutiny – here
Progressive Economics Forum/Angella MacEwen – If underemployed workers counted – here
Progressive Economics/Jim Stanford – Austerity Bites, Employment Rate Falls Again – here
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