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January 6 2012 - Statistics Canada reported that the unemployment rate edged up to 7.5% in December as more people joined the jobs market. A gain of 43,000 part-time jobs was countered by 26,000 fewer full-time jobs. British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island all showed employment gains in December while Quebec showed losses.

Seasonally adjusted, unemployment rates vary from 12.8% (Newfoundland and Labrador) to 4.9% (Alberta).

Rates for all the provinces were (previous month in brackets):

• Newfoundland and Labrador 12.8% (13.2%)
• Prince Edward Island 11.4% (11.1%)
• Nova Scotia 7.8% (8.6%)
• New Brunswick 9.4% (9.8%)
• Quebec 8.7% (8.0%)
• Ontario 7.7% (7.9%)
• Manitoba 5.4% (5.5%)
• Saskatchewan 5.2% (5.1%)
• Alberta 4.9% (5.0%)
• British Columbia 7.0% (7.0%)

Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress said:

"Our labour market has had three bad months in a row. In the upcoming budget, the federal government must shift its focus from program cuts to creating jobs.

"The government keeps giving tax breaks to corporations in the belief that the private sector will use that money to create jobs but the companies are just sitting on the cash and not investing. The government could create jobs by investing in infrastructure projects and other much needed public services."

CLC Senior Economist Andrew Jackson provided the following analysis:

"Canada's job market ended 2011 badly as the national unemployment rate rose from 7.4% to 7.5% and we lost 25,500 full time jobs.

"While part-time employment gains offset the losses in full-time employment, this was only because of a strong rise in usually low paid and insecure self-employment. The number of employees fell by 13,600.

"The recovery in the job market ground to a halt in the last three months of 2011 as the national unemployment rate rose from 7.1% to 7.5% and we lost 63,000 full time jobs.

"There is now a clear need for the government to shift its focus from cuts to jobs.

"Job losses in December were concentrated in construction (down 12,800) and health and social service (down 9,200). The number of public sector employees fell by 17,300."