Employment in October was up 0.2% from September. The unemployment rate was 6.5%, down from 6.8% in September and its lowest rate since November 2008. Construction employment was up 0.2% from September while manufacturing employment gained 1.9% from a month earlier.
In October, employment stood at 18.0 million, up 1.0% from October 2013. Full-time employment grew by 26,500 from September, while part-time employment increased by 16,500 from the previous month. Full-time employment was up by 80,6100 from October 2013, while part-time increased by 101,200 over the same period.
Employment over the past year grew in seven provinces. Saskatchewan (+3.3%), Alberta (+2.6%) and Manitoba (+1.8%) led the way. The employment growth rate in Ontario was (+1.4%). Employment from a year earlier was down in Newfoundland and Labrador (-3.2%) followed by Quebec (-0.7%) and Nova Scotia (-0.4%).
Total employment gains of 95,300 have occurred in Ontario since October 2013. Its unemployment rate was 6.5% in October, down from 7.1% in September. Quebec’s total employment decrease since October 2013 was 29,700. Its unemployment rate in October was 7.7%, up from 7.6% in September.
Since October 2013, employment in the goods-producing sector has increased by 0.3% and in the services-producing sector it has grown by 1.2%.
The construction industry gained 3,200 jobs in October over September bringing total construction employment to 1,355,800, which is an increase of 21,500 construction jobs (+1.6%) from October 2013. Total manufacturing employment was up 33,200 from September to 1,752,700 jobs. That was a gain of 34,700 positions (2.0%) since October 2013.
The number of people working in retail and wholesale trade was up 38,500 in October from September and totaled 2,738,900. That was a gain of 1.2% from October 2013.
Employment among adult women, aged 25 and over, was up 31,900 in October 2014 over October 2013 and increased by 34,200 from September. Employment among adult men was up 110,500 in October 2014 over October 2013 and grew by 4,500 from September. Employment among youths (15-24 years of age) was up by 39,300 since October 2013, and grew by 4,400 from September.
In October, private sector employment was up 70,600 from September, and grew by 140,800 from October 2013. Self-employment was up 26,300 in October over September, and increased 40,900 from October 2013. Public sector employment was down 1.5% in October from September and was unchanged from October 2013. Total private sector employment in October was 11,615,000; self-employment was 2,725,400; and public sector employment was 3,628,200.