Worst in Western Canada
Abbotsford-Mission retained its position of having the highest unemployment rate in Western Canada at 8.0 percent compared to rates as low as half that in other major cities and the rate increased in December according to Statscan figures released Friday.
The unemployment rate in Abbostford-Mission rose from 7.5 percent to 8.0 percent in December bucking an overall provincial trend which saw employment gains in BC, mostly in Vancouver.
The unemployment rate dropped in Vancouver (6.6 to 6.4), but rose in Victoria (4.3 to 4.5) and Kelowna (6.3 to 6.8).
In the rest of Western Canada unemployment was up in Calgary (4.6 to 4.7), Edmonton (5.1 to 5.5), and Regina (3.9 to 4.2) while it remained unchanged in Saskatoon (4.2 to 4.2) and dropped in Winnipeg (5.9 to 5.8).
According to Stascan, across the country, employment fell by 46,000 in December, the result of declines in full-time work. The unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 7.2% as more people searched for work.
Dampened by the decline in December, employment gains in 2013 amounted to 102,000 or 0.6%. Employment growth averaged 8,500 per month in 2013, compared with 25,900 in 2012.
Provincially, employment in December declined in Ontario and Alberta, while it increased in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nationally, there were fewer people working in educational services, “other services,” agriculture as well as natural resources. At the same time, employment increased in health care and social assistance.
In December, self-employment declined, while there was little change among public sector and private sector employees. Compared with 12 months earlier, all the employment gains were among private sector employees.
Fewer men and women aged 25 to 54 were employed in December, while employment increased among women aged 55 and over.
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