B.C., Alberta and Ontario see highest number of job losses
The Canadian economy shed another 61,000 jobs in March, pushing the unemployment rate to a seven-year high of eight per cent, according to Statistics Canada.
Since peaking last October, employment has fallen each month, with a total of 357,000 jobs lost. In percentage terms, this represents the largest decline over a five-month period since the 1982 recession.
Job losses occurred in a variety of industries, including manufacturing (34,000); finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (20,000); construction (18,000); and natural resources (11,000).
Losses were only partially offset by gains in "other services" (23,000) and business, building and other support services (13,000).
British Columbia had the most jobs losses (23,000), followed by Alberta (15,000) and Ontario (11,000). Since October, these provinces have had the fastest rate of employment decreases.
