Jobless rate falls to 8.3%: StatsCan

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Canada's economy added 43,000 new part-time jobs in January, pushing the unemployment rate down slightly to 8.3%.

Statistics Canada says January's unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from 8.4% in December.

Full-time employment, however, was little changed in January.

Despite job increases in four of the past six months, Canada's employment was still 280,000 lower than in October 2008.

The January job increases were mainly among adult women and youths.

There were 29,000 more young people working, which moved the youth unemployment rate down to 15.1% from 16%.

It was the first time youth jobs rose since the downturn began in late 2008.

Ontario accounted for 30,000 of the January job increases. The province's unemployment rate was unchanged, at 9.2%, as more people went looking for work.

British Columbia and Manitoba also saw job gains. Nova Scotia lost jobs, while the other provinces were unchanged.

The Quebec unemployment rate actually dipped to 8.0% in January from 8.4% in December as some people left the labour market.

Overall, the largest job gains were in business, building and other support trades and retail and wholesale trade. These were partly offset by losses in professional, scientific and technical services, as well as agriculture.

(02/05/10)