A woman checks out a jobs advertisement sign, in Toronto on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Statistics Canada is set to release its latest reading on the country's job market this morning.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the total number of jobs in December was virtually unchanged for the month as the unemployment rate held steady at 5.8 per cent.
The agency says the economy added a total of 100 jobs for the final month of the year.
The result came as the number of full-time jobs fell by 23,500 in December, offset by a gain of 23,600 part-time positions in the month.
The number of jobs in the professional, scientific and technical services sector rose by 45,700 in the month, while the number of jobs in health care and social assistance climbed by 15,500.
The wholesale and retail trade sector lost 20,600 jobs in December.
Statistics Canada says overall employment growth slowed in the second half of 2023, averaging 23,000 per month compared with 48,000 per month in the first six months of the year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2024.
