加拿大统计局StatsCan5日表示，加拿大12月就业人数增加6.16万人，失业率由11月的6.3%降至30年来的低点6.1%。
加拿大统计局StatsCan5日表示，加拿大12月失业率意外降至30年来的新低。
12月就业人数增加6.16万人，失业率由11月的6.3%降至6.1%。市场预期12月就业增加1.5万人。
06年就业增长2.1%，是02年以来的最高水平，就业增加34.5万人，成为连续第14个增长年份。就业增长主要由石油富产省阿尔伯托引领。
尽管阿尔伯托仅占有10%的就业年龄人数，但它却占06年加拿大就业增长的1/3。阿尔伯托12月裁员3600任，但在06年却创造了10.9万人的就业，就业率为6.0%，是1980年以来的最快速度。
10月GDP意外停滞，导致许多经济学家下调了第四季度的增长预期。
加拿大央行（Bank of Canada）行长道奇（David Dodge）12月11日警告称，第四季度的增长将会低于央行之前的预期，07年第一季度也会出现缓和。06年第三季度GDP增长1.7%，是3年来的最低速度。
央行在其最近4次会议中保持基准利率于4.25%不变，预计在1月16日的政策会议上再次维持。
加元在就业数据发布后坚挺。美元兑加元报于1.1755，数据公布前报于1.1780。
12月全职就业增加3.69万人，兼职就业增加2.48万人。全职就业人数约占06年就业增加总数的80%。12月自我雇佣人数增加49400人，私营部门增加4700人，公共部门增加7700人。
12月平均时薪年升2.6%，长期工的平均时薪年升2.3%。
劳动力增加2.73万人至17，714，500人。劳动参与率为67.2%，就业率为63.1%。
Jobless rate hits 30-year low
Canadian Press OTTAWA — There were 62,000 more people working last month, pushing Canada’s unemployment down to 6.1 per cent, a level that was more common 30 years ago.
The rate had flirted with 6.1 per cent in mid-2006, then ratcheted back up to 6.3 per cent in November.
The news from Statistics Canada was a pick-me-up for the Canadian dollar, as investors concluded that interest rate cuts aren’t in the offing.
By noon today, the currency was at 85.08 cents US, up 0.14 of a cent — rebounding from a drop to its lowest level since November 2005 the day before.
The job numbers had analysts predicting a boost to economic growth after a lacklustre finish to 2006.
“This is great news from, I would say, a first-quarter economic growth point of view,” said Andrew Pyle, an economist with Scotiabank.
“The headlines are great, the job growth is great. The unemployment rate falling is good news from a consumer confidence point of view and, therefore, a consumer spending point of view.
“That’s badly needed. Canada has experienced several quarters now of anemic growth.”
For 2006 as a whole, the economy created 345,000 new positions, a 2.1 per cent increase and the best annual showing since 2002, Statistics Canada reported. It was the 14th consecutive year of job growth.
Most of the new jobs were in self-employment, which David Tulk, an economist from TD Bank called “the fly in the ointment.”
Pyle said there are income implications in that data.
“Are we getting the same type of income gain from a new self-employed person as we would be, say, from hiring another worker on a factory floor?”
Some said the gains could be misleading.
“I think the numbers could be volatile and maybe going into the new year you might see some weakness,” said Andrew Gretzinger, senior economic analyst at MFC Global Investment Management in Toronto.
He said the current unseasonably warm weather across much of the country is a mixed blessing. It may help construction, but it will hit hard at snow-dependent ski hills and other tourist attractions.
The analysts agreed that the latest numbers give the Bank of Canada more reason to hold off on any interest rate cuts until later in the year.
While some still predict rate cuts in the second quarter, Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist at the Bank of Montreal, said he believes the central bank will hold its key rate at 4.25 per cent through 2007.
In December, almost two-thirds of the new jobs were created in Ontario. Gains across the country were split between full-time jobs, 37,000, and part-time jobs, 25,000.
For the year as a whole, Ontario recorded job growth of 1.8 per cent, but the gains came in service industries.
Ontario has lost 130,000 manufacturing jobs since the fall of 2002 and most of Ontario’s job gains in December were in part-time work.
National manufacturing employment was off 2.7 per cent, or 59,000, for the year and down nine per cent, or 216,000 jobs, since the decline started in November 2002.
Quebec’s unemployment rate hit a 30-year-low of 7.5 per cent in December.
Alberta recorded its best job growth in 26 years in 2006, with a jump of six per cent. Although the province accounts for only 10 per cent of working-age Canadians, it accounted for almost a third of the job growth.
Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia also recorded job gains above the national average last year.
About two-thirds of the job growth last year was among adult women and the proportion of women 25 and over who were working hit a record in December.
Youth employment was up 1.4 per cent, or 36,000 jobs, over the year and the jobless rate for young people, at 11.2 per cent in December, was approaching its lowest level in a quarter-century.
The employment gains helped push average hourly wages to an even $20 in December, up 2.6 per cent over the year.
Employment growth for 2006 was spread across a number of industries. Natural resources was on top with growth of 10.9 per cent. Business, building and other support services were up 8.8 per cent, while finance, insurance and real estate gained 6.9 per cent.
A quick look at December unemployment (previous month in brackets)
Unemployment rate: 6.1 per cent (6.1)
Number unemployed: 1,075,000 (1,109,300)
Number working:16,639,500 (16,577,900)
Youth (15-24 years) unemployment: 11.2 per cent (11.8)
Men (25 plus) unemployment: 5.3 per cent (5.3)
Women (25 plus) unemployment: 4.9 per cent (5.1)
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/168207
