Canada’s unemployment rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 5.5% in July, the third consecutive monthly increase.
Statistics Canada said employment was little changed in July, declining by 6,000 jobs nationwide.
The largest decreases in employment during the month were observed in construction (down 45,000 jobs) and public administration (down by 17,000 positions).
Those declines were partly offset by employment gains in healthcare (up 25,000) and educational services (up 19,000) in July.
Among the provinces, employment increased in Alberta (up 12,000), New Brunswick (up 4,200) and Prince Edward Island (up 1,500).
However, job declines were seen in Manitoba (down 6,400) and Saskatchewan (down 5,700). All other provinces posted little change in their employment numbers during July.
Employment fell among men aged 25 to 54 years old (down 27,000) but increased among male youth aged 15 to 24 (up 13,000). There was little change in employment among women.
Statistics Canada said the muted employment change was due largely to population growth as the number of people working full-time and part-time held relatively steady in July.
Between January and July of this year, monthly employment growth has averaged 22,000, said the federal agency.
