Canada experienced an impressive labour market performance in January as 150,000 new jobs were created, with the unemployment rate staying at 5 percent. Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta contributed considerably to this success story amidst a tight COVID-19-induced job market. This marks four months of consecutive growth since September 2020, with 326,000 additional positions added. After an extended period of stagnation, the wholesale and retail industry finally experienced a surge, with 59,000 new jobs in February. British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec saw the most significant employment increase, while healthcare occupations also rose by 40 000 positions following December’s dip. In addition, Quebec saw an impressive 18,000 increase in the educational services sector and another 16,000 jobs added to the construction sector. Combined with other industries experiencing growth over the past year, this brings about a significant 114,000 rise in employment across Canada.
