Canada's economy added 75,100 jobs in July, a gain that dwarfed analyst expectations and marked the third consecutive month of employment growth. The figure, released Friday by Statistics Canada, compares with consensus forecasts that had ranged from a modest 5,000 to 20,000 new positions.
The surprise extends a run of labour-market resilience that began in May, when employment surged by 88,000, and continued in June with an 18,000 increase. Those two months had already lifted the year-over-year employment gain to 99,000 as of June, driven almost entirely by a 131,000 rise in full-time work. The unemployment rate held at 6.5% in June, down from a 6.9% peak in April, while the employment rate edged up to 60.8%.
Beneath the headline, the composition of recent gains has been mixed. June's increase was concentrated in part-time positions, which rose 17,500, while full-time jobs were nearly flat at 600. Services led the way, adding 61,800 jobs in June, with wholesale and retail trade and accommodation and food services accounting for much of the advance. Goods-producing industries, by contrast, shed 5,000 positions, led by a 17,000 decline in manufacturing. The public sector also contracted, losing 31,000 jobs in June after a gain the previous month.