Employment gains were widespread in February, with 337,000 jobs added on a seasonally adjusted basis across most industries. Statistics Canada conducted its latest Labour Force Survey during the week of February 13 to 19, at a time when most public health measures pertaining to the spread of COVID-19 had been eased. Construction saw seasonally unadjusted employment rise by 31,000 workers (+2.2%) in February. It was the first month since August 2021 in which employment increased. Employment in February was 6.5% higher (86,200 workers) than in February 2021 and 2.2% higher (30,100 workers) than its pre-COVID level in February 2020. Employment gains were recorded in all provinces except Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where employment held steady near January levels. Newfoundland and Labrador experienced the largest increase at 13.2%, while Nova Scotia (+7.9%) followed. The remaining provinces reported month-over-month gains of up to 3%. Compared to 2021, February employment levels were marginally lower in Manitoba (-0.9%) and British Columbia (-0.5%). All other provinces reported increases, with New Brunswick (+32.6%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (+30.4%) reporting the most notable gains. The remaining provinces reported increases of up to 15%. READ FULL ARTICLE>>
