Inflation was down slightly in October.
StatsCan says it was at 2.2 percent year-over-year, that’s down two-tenths of a percentage from September.
The drop was mostly due to gas prices, which fell at a faster pace compared to the previous month. (9.4 percent)
Without gas, the rate would have stayed the same as September.
StatsCan says that slower growth in grocery prices contributed, but was moderated by higher prices for cellphone plans.
More jobs popped up in October nationwide.
StatsCan says the economy added 67,000 jobs last month.
That helped the unemployment fall two tenths of a percentage point to 6.9 percent.
It July and August, it had been the highest since 2016, not including the pandemic.
The growth was fuelled by part-time work, as 85,000 jobs were added.
The wholesale and retail sector saw the highest growth at 41,000 positions.
Around 33,000 jobs went to men aged 25-54, while youth picked up 21,000 jobs.
Employment increased in Ontario but fell in Nova Scotia.
Inflation was up in September.
StatsCan says the Consumer Price Index rose 2.4 percent year-over-year in September.
That’s up from a 1.9 percent increase in August.
Prices at the grocery store were a key factor, with people paying four percent more for food compared to last year.
There was an increase in the price of fresh vegetables, as well as beef and coffee due to lower supply.
Gas prices did fall four percent, but they’re up nearly 2 percent compared to last month.
Canada’s economy added 60,000 jobs in September, an increase of 0.3 per cent, marking a rebound after two months of declines, according to Statistics Canada.
The employment rate rose to 60.6 per cent, while the national unemployment rate held steady at 7.1 per cent.
StatsCan says most of the gains were in full‑time work, which rose by 106,000 positions. Part‑time employment fell by 46,000.
Public sector jobs increased by 31,000, while smaller gains were recorded in the private sector and among the self‑employed.
Employment increased among people aged 25 to 54, with 76,000 more women and 33,000 more men in the workforce. Employment among those 55 and older declined by 44,000.
Statistics Canada explained that the youth unemployment rate rose to 14.7 per cent in September, the highest for that month since 2010, excluding the pandemic years.
The increase was driven by students, with unemployment among youth attending school reaching 17.1 per cent, up more than three percentage points from a year earlier.
By industry, manufacturing added 28,000 jobs, the first increase since January.
Health care and social assistance gained 14,000 positions, while agriculture added 13,000. Employment in wholesale and retail trade fell by 21,000.
Average hourly wages were up 3.3 per cent compared with a year earlier, rising by $1.17 to $36.78.
Alberta led the way with 43,000 new jobs, more than offsetting losses in July and August. The province’s unemployment rate fell to 7.8 per cent.
New Brunswick gained 4,700 jobs and Manitoba added 3,900, but both provinces saw their unemployment rates rise as more people searched for work. Newfoundland and Labrador lost 2,200 jobs.
Employment was little changed in Ontario and Quebec. Ontario’s unemployment rate edged up to 7.9 per cent, while Quebec’s fell to 5.7 per cent.
Statistics Canada also collected new information on whether workers were employed in jobs related to their education or training.
The agency says 16.4 per cent of core‑aged workers with postsecondary education were in jobs unrelated to their field in September, up from a year earlier.
The rate was higher among workers aged 25 to 34, at 18.2 per cent.
Recent immigrants were more likely to be in jobs unrelated to their education, at 21.2 per cent, compared with 15.2 per cent of Canadian‑born workers.
More than four in 10 recent immigrants said the main reason was a lack of jobs in their field.
In comparison, more than half of Canadian-born workers in jobs unrelated to their field said they picked a different career path on purpose.
StatsCan also reported that 21.8 per cent of core‑aged workers with postsecondary education felt overqualified for their current role, little changed from last year.
Among recent immigrants, that figure rose to 34.7 per cent, with many working in sales and service or business, finance and administration jobs.
Statistics Canada defines the labour force as everyone aged 15 or older who has a job or is actively looking for one.
The full report can be found on Statistics Canada’s website.
Statistics Canada still has its help wanted sign up.
It’s looking for temporary workers to follow up with individuals who failed to complete this year’s Census online.
Ontario Regional Director Nancy Guarino says they have jobs available throughout northwestern Ontario that need to be filled.
“For the Canadians who don’t respond right away but might need a reminder, or might need help, we will offer that help, and we’re hiring a workforce to do just that,” she explains.
You can visit the Census page on the Statistics Canada website to file a job application.
The Chief Public Health Officer called attention to a Statistics Canada report on excess deaths in Canada in relation to COVID-19.
Dr. Theresa Tam said this is a measure of the additional deaths over and above the expected number based on trends from previous years.
“It is an important way for us to understand the full impact of an extraordinary event like COVID-19 against expected mortality,” she said.
There are now 71,486 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada with 5,209 deaths.
Tam said these illnesses can have health consequences beyond themselves.
“Such as increased illness and death associated with mental health issues, problematic substance use or delayed health-seeking for acute and chronic health conditions,” she said.
Tam said delays in seeking care for life-threatening illnesses or chronic disease management can affect death rates.
“Likewise delayed or missed appointments for prevention visits to maintain routine vaccinations, increases the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and associated illness and deaths.”
Tam said it is vital to maintain health visits for everything from prevention and vaccines to mental health and chronic disease management and not delaying getting immediate attention for life threatening health and mental health concerns.
She said healthcare providers have implemented a range of precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure patient’s safety.
“Speak with your healthcare provider to see what options are available for you and your family to safely have your health needs met.”
34,496 or 48 per cent of people in Canada have recovered from COVID-19.
1,169,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 with 6 per cent testing positive overall.
Almost 18% of Canadians can hold a conversation in either English or French as the Official Languages Act marks its 50th anniversary this year.
Statistics Canada says that means more Canadians are bilingual than ever before according to new data from the 2016 census.
Among youth, the bilingualism rate rose to 19% in 2016, up from 16% a decade before.
Speaking English and French increases as youth enter adulthood especially in Quebec.
Youth bilingualism rates were much lower in Ontario and in the West but mostly remained steady.
The federal government has a target of increasing the national bilingualism rate to 20% by 2036.
