Highlights
- Statistics Canada reported 445,500 jobs in the area in January, 3,000 more than in December.
- In January, the unemployment rate in the Québec City CMA was 3.8%, a slight drop compared to December (3.9%). This is the lowest unemployment rate among all major Canadian cities.
- The active population increased by 2,700 individuals this month, recording a second consecutive month of growth.
- In the province of Quebec, the number of jobs increased by 13,500 from December to January, while the unemployment rate remained stable at 5.4%.
Commentary
The labour market maintained the growth observed in the Québec City CMA in December 2018. Indeed, Statistics Canada reported an increase in the number of jobs in the area for the second consecutive month. In January, 3,000 additional jobs were recorded in the area, bringing the total to 445,500 jobs. Over the same period, the number of job seekers remained relatively unchanged, with 200 fewer people unemployed. The active population increased by 2,700 individuals, totalling 463,100 in January. This significant gain shows an upturn after the downward trend observed in the second half of last year. At the start of this new year, the area registered an unemployment rate of 3.8%, the lowest among the major Canadian CMAs. This slight drop compared to December (3.9%) is explained by a faster growth in employment than increase in the active population. This situation resulted in higher activity and employment rates this month, reaching 67.5% and 65.0% respectively. It is worth mentioning that the increased participation of workers aged 55 and above contributed to this situation. The participation of workers aged 25 to 54 on the labour market remained stable, while that of those aged 15 to 24 declined.
We also see an upturn in full and part-time employment. The service sector, representing over 80% of all jobs in the area, accounted for most of the new hiring this month. Healthcare, transportation, storage and business services compensated for the setbacks observed in education, finance and insurance. The manufacturing industry recorded moderate employment gains, while the construction industry registered a decline for the third consecutive month.
Émile Émond
Économist
Québec International
