Canadian economy added 35,200 jobs

Unemployment rate fell to 5.6% in December from November’s 5.9%

The Canadian job market bounced back in December to post a gain of 35,200 jobs and reverse some of the losses in November which saw the biggest monthly loss since the financial crisis.

The increase in the number of jobs came as the unemployment rate also fell to 5.6 per cent compared with 5.9 per cent in November when the country lost 71,200 jobs.

Statistics Canada said Friday the gain in jobs came as the number of private sector employees rose by 56,900, offset by a loss of 21,500 public sector jobs. The number of self-employed fell by 200.

Full-time employment rose by 38,400 jobs, while the number of part-time jobs fell by 3,200.

Robert Kavcic, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, said the jobs report will allow the Bank of Canada to breathe easier, as the job market finished 2019 on a solid note following some weakness in October and November.

“This should help ease the Bank of Canada’s concern at least that the labour market wasn’t really breaking down at the end of 2019,” he said.

Kavcic said the job losses in November were a “recessionlike” figure, but the other economic data didn’t corroborate the report.

The jobs report is notoriously volatile, but the trend in the second half of last year was softer than the start of the year.

Kavcic said he doesn’t expect to see a return to the job gains seen in the first half of last year after the weakness in the fourth quarter of 2019.

“We’re not going to be getting 30,000 or 40,000 jobs per month like we saw through the first half of 2019, we’re probably going to be looking at more something like 15,000, maybe high teens in terms of monthly job growth,” he said.

The Canadian economy added 320,300 jobs for all of 2019, including 282,800 full-time positions and 37,500 part-time jobs.

Sherry Cooper, chief economist at Dominion Lending Centres, said the December employment report confirms the Bank of Canada’s current policy stance that despite headwinds, the economy remains relatively resilient and that further interest rate cuts are unnecessary.

“This assessment can change on a dime in today’s uncertain world, but for now, the central bank is likely to remain on hold,” she said.

The Bank of Canada is set to make its next interest rate decision and release its updated monetary policy report on Jan. 22.

Regionally, Ontario and Quebec led the job gains.

Ontario added 25,100 jobs in December, boosted by gains in construction and public administration. Quebec added 21,100 jobs in the month.