The Canadian economy added 21,000 jobs in September, and the unemployment rate fell 0.2% to 5.2%.
Posted at 8:50 a.m.
This slight rebound was expected, after the loss of 40,000 jobs that occurred in August. In Quebec, the unemployment rate remained virtually unchanged in September, at 4.4%, reports Statistics Canada.
In August, Quebec saw its unemployment rate increase by 0.4% to 4.5%.
The September job gain in Canada follows three consecutive months of losses.
The average hourly wage is up 5% on an annual basis. This is the fourth consecutive month in which the increase in the average hourly wage has exceeded 5%. By comparison, the 12-month growth of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was greater than or equal to 7.0% from May to August.
Average hourly wages rose in nearly all industries from a year earlier in September, including in accommodation and food services. In this sector, average employee wages were up 13.2% in Ontario (+$2.27 to $19.51) and 8.1% in Quebec (+$1.41 to $18. $81), two provinces where the minimum wage for employees receiving tips increased in 2022.