Employment raised in March as job vacancies dropped to the lowest level since COVID-19

According to the latest Statistics Canada data, workers landed more jobs in March, marking the second consecutive month of employment growth, as the number of vacant positions decreased. The Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours shows a rise of 51,400 employees, or 0.3%, in March. Employment gains were noted in 11 of 20 sectors, led by healthcare and social assistance, which added 11,700 jobs, a 0.5% increase. From March 2023 to March 2024, payroll employment in educational services rose by 31,600, or 2.2%. In March, manufacturing jobs increased by 7,300 (0.5%), construction by 2,600 (0.2%), and wholesale trade by 2,600 (0.3%). Retail trade was the only sector to lose jobs, with a decrease of 2,400 (0.1%). Regionally, job vacancies decreased in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, while Prince Edward Island saw an increase of 600 vacancies (28.3%). Job vacancies remained unchanged in the other provinces. Job vacancies in Canada fell by 40,600 (6.2%) to 610,700 in March, the lowest level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.