The number of people on a payroll inched up in September thanks to Canada's improving goods sectors, according to government data released Thursday.
September added 15,900 workers, or a gain of 0.1%, in non-farm payrolls. The payroll increase came entirely from the goods sector and particularly from construction, a Statistics Canada report said. In the service sector, any small gains in public administration and hospitality were cancelled out by job losses in other areas.
Eight provinces experienced payroll growth in September, with the largest bounce occurring in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. British Columbia and Prince Edward Island however saw slight decreases.
Of the 305 industries surveyed 170, or 55.7% posted gains. September saw the largest number of industry payroll additions since July 2008.
Since payroll peaked in October 2008, the number of employees in Canada has declined by 448,100 representing a 3% drop. Most of the declines occurred during the first six months of the economic downturn in the goods and service sectors.
On average, payroll workers earned $830.68 weekly in September, marking an increase of 1.9% from year-ago levels. September earnings statistics marked the first upswing in earnings for manufacturing sectors since the start of the economic downturn.
Total hours, including overtime by hourly wage employees, fell by 4.7% compared to September 2008. It was the sixth month in a row of hourly declines.
