More good news: the Quebec City CMA added 800 jobs in June compared with the previous month. This was the fifth consecutive monthly increase, a trend that the region shares with only two other Canadian urban areas (Toronto and Winnipeg). The performance in June also helped to close the second quarter with a gain of 14,500 jobs compared with the first quarter, good for second place in Canada. Unemployment continued to drop to 4%, one of the lowest rates seen over the past seven years.
Highlights
- According to Statistics Canada, employment continued to grow for the fifth straight month in the Quebec City census metropolitan area (CMA), with a gain of 800 jobs in June compared with the previous month.
- Unemployment continued its downward trend, dipping from 4.1% in May to 4.0% in June—the second lowest rate in Canada.
- Thanks to June's strong performance, Quebec City finished the second quarter of 2015 with a net gain of 14,500 jobs compared with the first quarter. This was the second-best showing in Canada after Toronto (+69,800).
- In the province of Quebec, the labour market lost 33,300 jobs in June compared with May as unemployment edged up 0.4 points to 8.0%.
Commentary
Based on the observed trends, hiring continues to gain pace in the construction and the services sectors. Meanwhile, manufacturing seems to have reached a certain equilibrium. Conditions are also conducive to the hiring of full-time workers, an important signal pointing to the solid underpinnings of the local economy. Reflecting the strong demand for labour, which applies to all age groups, unemployment dropped to 3.9% among 25-to-54-year-olds and 2.4% among workers aged 55 and up (non-seasonally adjusted data). To sum up, Quebec City is reaping the benefits of a very dynamic labour market, which has propelled it into the ranks of Canada's top-performing regions.
Louis Gagnon
Senior Economist
Québec International