STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
By Glory Przekop with files from The Canadian Press

Area’s unemployment rate up

May 11, 2018 | 7:57 AM

Our region’s unemployment rate has increased to a number last seen in January of this year.

Statistics Canada reports our jobless rate for April 2018 was 5.9 per cent, up from 5.1 per cent in March.

It was 7.3 per cent in April 2017.

Across the country, wage growth hit its highest level in nearly six years last month as the economy posted a net loss of 1,100 jobs and an unemployment rate that held steady at 5.8 per cent.

Statistics Canada’s latest jobs report shows wages in April were up 3.6 per cent compared with a year ago, the largest increase since October 2012.

The indicator, which is closely monitored by the Bank of Canada ahead of its interest-rate decisions, posted an annual increase of 3.3 per cent in March.

The overall decline in the number of jobs last month was so small the agency did not consider it statistically significant, while the unemployment rate stayed at its record low of 5.8 per cent for a third-straight month.

The agency says the economy produced 28,800 full-time jobs last month and shed 30,000 part-time positions.

The report also showed a decrease of 13,600 positions in the country’s public sector, while the number of private-sector jobs rose by 28,000.

Compared with 12 months earlier, the employment was up 1.5 per cent following the creation of 278,300 jobs, which was fuelled by 378,300 new full-time positions.

(with files from The Canadian Press)

by Glory Przekop with files from The Canadian Press