OTTAWA, Apr 9 – Canada\’s economy added 18,000 jobs in March, keeping the unemployment rate unchanged at 8.2 percent, Statistics Canada said Friday.
The job creation figure was less than analysts\’ expectation that 25,000 new jobs would be added in the month, after 20,900 added in February.
Statistics Canada however said the rise is still significant, "continuing an upward trend that began in July 2009." Since then, 176,000 jobs have been created.
Professional, scientific and technical services, construction, and natural resources industries saw notable increases.
But these gains were partially offset by declines in "other services," business, building and other support services, and transportation and warehousing.
Employment edged up in Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan provinces in March, while there was "little change" in all regions.
Average hourly wages, meanwhile, were up by 2.2 percent in March compared with a year earlier.
