Canada joblessness steady in April at 6.8 percent

Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's unemployment rate held steady at 6.8 percent in April for the third straight month, despite the loss of 19,700 jobs, the national statistics agency said Friday.

Job losses were four times greater than expected. The decline in employment was felt mainly in construction, retail and wholesale trade and the public sector, Statistics Canada said. The largest decline in jobs during the month -- 15,000 -- were among women 55 years and older.

Men in the same age category gained almost as many jobs as women lost, 12,000. In the year to April, there was a 0.8 percent increase in the number of jobs, or 139,000.

 The unemployment rate among youths 15 to 24 years old ticked up 0.6 percent to 13.6 percent as more began looking for jobs. Those aged 25 to 54 saw a 0.2 percent dip to 5.6 percent in the unemployment rate for their cohort.

 Employment was stable in Canada's two most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec, with the jobless rate down 0.1 percent to 6.8 and 7.4 percent respectively.

 In British Colombia, however, joblessness spiked in April to 6.3 percent from 5.8 percent the previous month. The jobs picture stabilized in Alberta at 5.5 percent, after months of losses linked to a collapse in oil prices.

news.yahoo.com