Canada loses 18,000 jobs in April, rate at 6.9%

OTTAWA Canada's economy shed 18,000 jobs in April, driving the unemployment rate higher to 6.9 per cent from 6.7 per cent the previous month, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

The labour force survey showed the decline followed a gain of 14,000 jobs in March. The unemployment rate returned to its October level, primarily because more people entered the workforce in search of employment. Economists had anticipated job growth for April and a stable unemployment rate.

On a year-over-year basis, employment rose by 67,000 jobs. However, the country has lost 112,000 jobs since January, with losses concentrated in manufacturing and wholesale trade sectors. Such a four-month decline during non-pandemic periods has not occurred since 2009, when 241,000 jobs were lost over a similar span. The most recent comparable drop took place from October 2020 to January 2021 amid pandemic restrictions.

Regional variations were stark. Ontario gained 42,000 jobs, mainly in health care and social assistance. That increase was nearly matched by a 43,000-job loss in Quebec, centered in wholesale and retail trade.

Average hourly wages increased 4.5 per cent from a year earlier, according to the agency.