Canada Employment Research Brief

Workforce recovery gains momentum. Hiring strengthened considerably in July, with employment rising by 75,000 positions, well above expectations and lifting the employment rate 10 basis points to 60.9 per cent. Gains were split between full- and parttime positions and were concentrated in the private sector, while the unemployment rate declined for a third consecutive month to a two-year low of 6.4 per cent. Hiring was also broad-based, led by wholesale and retail trade, finance and real estate, professional services, and construction. Ontario accounted for the majority of the national increase, while British Columbia also posted another solid gain. Despite stronger hiring, wage pressures continued to moderate, with average hourly earnings growth slowing 50 basis points to 2.8 per cent year-over-year.