Employment increased for the second consecutive month, up 80,000 in November. The unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 5.9%, the lowest rate since February 2008. In the 12 months to November, employment was up by 390,000 (+2.1%), with all the gains attributable to full-time work (+441,000 or +3.0%) as part-time employment was down slightly. Over the same period, total hours worked grew by 1.0%. The unemployment rate trended downwards in the 12 months to November, falling 0.9 percentage points over this period. Chart 1 Chart 1: Employment Employment Chart 1: Employment Chart 2 Chart 2: Unemployment rate ... (full story)

Canada’s jobless rate plunged to the lowest in a decade in November on a surprise jump in hiring that defies a slowdown in the rest of the economy. Unemployment fell to 5.9% last month from 6.3% in October, Statistics Canada said Friday in Ottawa. The number of jobs increased by 79,500 in November, the largest monthly gain since April 2012. Employment grew across most industries led by manufacturing, retailing and education. The strong labor market in the second half of the year is helping to offset a slump in exports that slowed growth in the third quarter. Another report Friday from Statistics Canada showed output ... (full story)