Sharp job losses in Ontario only partly off-set by increases in Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan
The economy shed 42,000 jobs in May, pushing the unemployment rate to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.
Following job gains in April, more manufacturing job losses in Ontario contributed to an overall decrease in employment in May. Since the employment peak of last October, employment has fallen by 363,000 or 2.1 per cent.
Ontario was the only province with a substantial employment decline in May, with 60,000 job losses, for a total of 234,000 since October 2008. While the province accounts for 39 per cent of the country's working-age population, it has experienced 64 per cent of the overall employment losses since October.
Employment increased in Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan, with 3,900, 3,600 and 3,100 overall new jobs. Employment was little changed in all other provinces.
The manufacturing sector saw 58,000 job losses in May, the majority in Ontario. In May there were 778,000 factory workers in Ontario, the lowest levels since Statistics Canada began tracking these workers in 1976.
The transportation and warehousing sector also shed 16,000 jobs. Public administration was the only industry with a notable employment increase with 19,000 new jobs.
Employment declines in May affected mostly men and women aged 25 to 54 (with 28,000 and 22,000 job losses, respectively), while employment increased by 16,000 among women aged 55 and over.
There were large declines in full-time employment (59,000) in May, bringing total full-time losses since October to 406,000 (a 2.9-per-cent decrease). Over the same period, part-time employment has increased by 44,000 (1.4 per cent).
