The 12 months to September 2011 saw the overall rate of employment in Canada increase by 1.7 per cent, boosted by a 2.5 per cent climb in full-time figures.

According to the latest official data, joblessness during the month from August dipped by 0.2 points to 7.1 per cent as a result of 61,000 more paid roles being created in the country.

The labor market report from Statistics Canada showed unemployment now stands at its lowest rate since December 2008, with strong gains over the past year in the number of jobs in Ontario and Alberta in particular.

Actual hours worked climbed in the year to September by two per cent, while the service sector led employment gains, with education jobs in Canada up by 20,000 (1.7 per cent), professional, scientific and technical services roles 53,000 higher and accommodation and food services roles increasing by 31,000.

The pace of job creation may continue to grow over the coming months after recent figures from Statistics Canada showed real gross domestic product climbed by 0.3 per cent in July 2011, outstripping an increase of 0.2 per cent in June.

Posted by Fiona Summers