Jobless rate falls to 7.7 per cent in March
Posted April 8, 2011 9:18 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – Canada’s unemployment rate edged down one-tenth of a point to 7.7 per cent in March, as the economy lost 1,500 jobs during the month.
Statistics Canada said the labour force also shrank, accounting for the minor reduction in the unemployment rate.
The results were somewhat disappointing considering the strong labour market growth the previous three months and the consensus expectation of another 20,000 pick-up in March.
But March was a case of part-time jobs being switched for full-time work rather than overall movement.
The agency said there were 90,600 full-time jobs added, while part-time work fell by 92,100.