The Jobs Recovery Grinds to a Halt

(Erin beat me to it but there is some new content here.)

Capping a very weak last quarter, Canada’s job market ended 2011 badly as the national unemployment rate rose from 7.4% to 7.5% and we lost 25,500 full time jobs.

While part time employment gains offset the losses in full time employment, this was only because of a strong rise in usually low paid and insecure self employment. The number of employees fell by 13,600.

The recovery in the job market ground to a halt in the last three months of 2011 as the national unemployment rate rose from 7.1% to 7.5% and as we lost 63,000 full time jobs.

There is now a clear need for the federal government to shift its focus from cuts to jobs.

Job losses in December were concentrated in construction (down 12,800) and health and social service (down 9,200). The number of public sector employees fell by 17,300.