Overview of the Quebec Labour Market - March 2008
See table: Labour market indicators for the province of Quebec
In Canada
In Canada, following two months of large gains, employment edged up slightly in March (+15,000). A surge of entrants into the labour market led the participation rate to a record high of 68%, though the unemployment rate also climbed 0.2 percentage points to 6%.
Alberta and British Columbia recorded notable employment gains in March. These provinces also set new records as British Columbia’s employment rate reached a high of 64% and Alberta’s participation rate hit 74.7%, the highest of any province.
Following a strong February, Ontario’s employment was unchanged, while the unemployment rate rose slightly (+0.3 points) to 6.4%, the result of a boost in the labour force. Over the past year, Ontario employment has risen by 1.8% (+119,000), driven mainly by gains in educational services; public administration; and business, building and other support services.
In Quebec
Employment in Quebec was little changed in March, while the unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 7.3%. During the January–March quarter in 2008, job numbers rose 7,100 (0.2%) over the previous quarter for the smallest quarterly increase in two years. Since this millennium began, Quebec has maintained a quarterly average of 15,400 new jobs created.
Over the past 12 months, the strongest employment growth has been seen in construction; professional, scientific and technical services; public administration; and transportation and warehousing.
Note that large investments are anticipated in 2008, mainly in metal refining, for the natural resource (extraction and processing) sector, which could create jobs. Quebec mining operators plan to increase their investments to $1.9 billion. These investments will support the construction sector and maintain positive job development despite an expected reduction in housing starts.
Note: The figures on this page are based on seasonally adjusted data. For more detailed information on LFS data, visit the Statistics Canada Website.
Labour market indicators for the province of Quebec
| Economic region | Three-month period ending | Unemployment rate (%) | Employment rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec total | March 2008 | 7.8 | 59.9 |
| March 2007 | 8.5 | 59.2 | |
| Gaspésie – Îles-de-la-Madeleine | March 2008 | 20.5 | 36.9 |
| March 2007 | 20.8 | 39.4 | |
| Bas-Saint-Laurent | March 2008 | 9.7 | 52.8 |
| March 2007 | 11.6 | 50.9 | |
| Québec, capital | March 2008 | 5.4 | 61.6 |
| March 2007 | 6.6 | 59.1 | |
| Chaudière-Appalaches | March 2008 | 6.3 | 61.6 |
| March 2007 | 8.0 | 62.6 | |
| Estrie | March 2008 | 6.0 | 59.4 |
| March 2007 | 8.9 | 58.7 | |
| Centre-du-Québec | March 2008 | 9.1 | 61.1 |
| March 2007 | 9.5 | 64.3 | |
| Montérégie | March 2008 | 6.2 | 61.0 |
| March 2007 | 6.8 | 61.9 | |
| Île-de-Montréal | March 2008 | 9.5 | 59.1 |
| March 2007 | 9.3 | 57.8 | |
| Metropolitan Montreal | March 2008 | 7.7 | 61.5 |
| March 2007 | 7.8 | 61.1 | |
| Laval | March 2008 | 7.6 | 63.7 |
| March 2007 | 7.1 | 62.4 | |
| Lanaudière | March 2008 | 8.8 | 61.6 |
| March 2007 | 6.0 | 63.3 | |
| Laurentides | March 2008 | 7.6 | 63.7 |
| March 2007 | 9.5 | 59.8 | |
| Outaouais | March 2008 | 5.7 | 66.0 |
| March 2007 | 8.1 | 62.8 | |
| Abitibi-Témiscamingue | March 2008 | 8.1 | 56.3 |
| March 2007 | 9.4 | 59.0 | |
| Mauricie | March 2008 | 8.3 | 52.9 |
| March 2007 | 11.4 | 52.6 | |
| Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean | March 2008 | 9.8 | 54.3 |
| March 2007 | 12.3 | 53.3 | |
| Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec | March 2008 | 11.8 | 53.2 |
| March 2007 | 11.2 | 52.0 |
