Business and Economy
Economy loses 28,900 jobs, unemployment rate stays at 6.9 per cent
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OTTAWA — The latest labour-market data says the Canadian economy unexpectedly lost 28,900 net jobs in April.
Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey found the unemployment rate remained at 6.9 per cent for the second straight month, suggesting that some Canadians had given up looking for work.
Economists had anticipated an increase of 12,000 jobs for April, according to Thomson Reuters.
The April job losses follow a gain of 42,900 net new jobs in March — which means 14,000 jobs were added over the two-month period.
The report also shows 30,900 full-time jobs were lost in April, compared with 2,000 new positions in part-time employment.
The Statistics Canada data says the employment losses struck Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.
The report says there were 27,100 fewer jobs held by young Canadians aged 15-24, while the youth unemployment rate stayed put at 13.4 per cent.
