BUSINESS

With ninth-straight monthly gain, jobless rate dips to 6.2 per cent

Andy Blatchford The Canadian Press
Published Friday, September 8, 2017 8:37AM EDT Last Updated Friday, September 8, 2017 1:46PM EDT

Construction workers look on at the FortisBC Tilbury LNG expansion project in Delta, B.C., Monday, Nov. 16, 2015. (Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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OTTAWA -- The labour market expanded for a ninth-consecutive month to register its longest job-creating streak since before the financial crisis nine years ago, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The increase of 22,200 jobs last month also helped nudge the unemployment rate to a nine-year low of 6.2 per cent, down from 6.3 per cent in July.

Looking beyond the more-volatile monthly numbers, the labour market grew 2.1 per cent in August compared to a year earlier. From the addition of 374,300 net new jobs, 57 per cent of them were full time.

The jobs data provided yet another sign of Canada's healthy economic trajectory.

The country's surprisingly solid start to 2017 has already motivated the Bank of Canada to hike its interest rate twice this year, including an increase earlier in the week.

Some economists said Friday's numbers validated the central bank's move and helped support predictions of another rate increase before the end of the year -- or perhaps as soon as next month.

"If you actually look over the last 12 months, we've had remarkably strong job creation," said Craig Alexander, chief economist for the Conference Board of Canada.

"The Canadian economy is showing a lot of momentum."

The August figures also contained another promising development: a long-awaited improvement in wage growth.

Compared to a year earlier, average hourly wages expanded at a faster rate than inflation to reach 1.8 per cent. It marked their biggest year-over-year increase since last October.

The Bank of Canada noted earlier in the week that wage growth had been "more subdued" than historical trends have shown.

"It has sort of been the missing ingredient," said Alexander, who added that wage growth usually starts to rise after job creation increases and the unemployment rate falls.

RBC assistant chief economist Paul Ferley said the wage-growth number provided tentative evidence that pressure is building on a tightening job market.

"We just have to see whether it continues," Ferley said.

But while the exterior of Friday's jobs report looked good, the monthly data also featured several blemishes.

The August growth was fuelled by less-desirable work, as the economy added 110,400 part-time jobs and shed 88,100 full-time positions.

Statistics Canada said most of the decline in full-time work was concentrated among young Canadians aged 15 to 24 years old. The youth category also showed a notable decrease last month in participation as fewer young people looked for work, leading analysts to suggest the back-to-school factors made a contribution.

The data also showed a decline of 10,400 paid employee positions, while the number of people who described themselves as self-employed, including unpaid workers in family businesses, rose by 32,700.

"While very solid on the surface, the details of this report are generally sluggish, leaving a mixed bag," BMO chief economist Doug Porter wrote in a research brief for clients.

By industry, the services sector gained 35,900 jobs while the number of factory positions fell by 13,700. The goods-sector slide was led by a loss of 11,100 manufacturing positions.

Ontario posted the only notable gain among provinces, while employment declined in Nova Scotia. The headline job numbers were little changed in the other provinces, Statistics Canada said.

The streak of nine-straight months of job creation marked Canada's longest run since February 2008, when employment rose for a 10th-consecutive month.

"Overall, as much as it might be argued that the components of the report were sub-par, job expansion continues unabated, reflecting sustained economic momentum and businesses and consumers brimming with confidence," Desjardins senior economist Jimmy Jean wrote in a research note.

A quick look at August employment numbers (previous month in brackets):

Unemployment rate: 6.2 per cent (6.3)
Employment rate: 61.6 per cent (61.6)
Labour force participation rate: 65.7 per cent (65.7)
Number unemployed: 1,226,600 (1,246,800)
Number working: 18,444,100 (18,421,900)
Youth (15-24 years) unemployment rate: 11.5 per cent (11.1)
Men (25 plus) unemployment rate: 5.5 per cent (5.6)
Women (25 plus) unemployment rate: 5.2 per cent (5.5)

Here are the jobless rates last month by province (previous month in brackets):

Newfoundland and Labrador 14.7 per cent (15.7)
Prince Edward Island 8.8 (10.0)
Nova Scotia 8.9 (7.9)
New Brunswick 7.8 (6.5)
Quebec 6.1 (5.8)
Ontario 5.7 (6.1)
Manitoba 4.9 (5.0)
Saskatchewan 6.4 (6.6)
Alberta 8.1 (7.8)
British Columbia 5.1 (5.3)

Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. Here are the jobless rates last month by city (previous month in brackets):