Unemployment rate shows slight decline in September

More young workers giving up on job search: Labour Force Survey

The national unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percentage points to 6.9 per cent in September, as more youth withdrew from the job search process.

Employment rose 1.2 per cent compared to last year, according to the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada.

Since September 2012, the number of hours worked has risen by 0.8 per cent. Part-time employment has grown at a faster pace than full-time.

Employment gains were seen in the finance, insurance, real estate and leasing, agriculture and natural resources sectors.

Employment in the manufacturing sector fell by 26,000 and employment in public administration fell by 17,000.

New Brunswick saw employment growth while Saskatchewan saw employment fall in September, while other provinces saw little change.

The number of private-sector employees increased by 74,000 while self-employment declined by 45,000 workers.

The unemployment rate for young workers aged 15 to 24 fell to 12.9 per cent, largely as a result of fewer young people searching for work.

Employment among workers aged 55 and over remained steady, but there were 140,000 more workers in this age group compared to September 2012.

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