Highlights
- According to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey, the Quebec City metropolitan region created 1,000 jobs in 2013 on a non-seasonally-adjusted basis.
- Once again, the Quebec City region hit a new employment record, with a total of 422,200 jobs last year.
- The unemployment rate dropped below the 5% threshold in 2013, finishing off the year at 4.7%.
- December contributed to this overall performance with a monthly gain of 4,700 jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.7%.
- For the province of Quebec, the labour market finished off December with a monthly loss of 10,200 jobs as unemployment rose to 7.7%, up from 7.2% in November.
Commentary
Bucking the historical trend, job creation in the services sector fell off in the Quebec City region in 2013. The construction industry and the manufacturing sector, however, picked up the slack. According to preliminary data, non-residential construction had a banner year, with investments totalling more than $1 billion while manufacturers boosted their hiring over the course of the year thanks to increased orders.
Regional economic diversification played a key role in the demand for labour in the Quebec City CMA in 2013, offsetting the services sector’s lacklustre performance. This also had a reinvigorating effect after a fairly calm summer period. December was a good example of this trend as the region created 4,700 jobs on a monthly basis—the second best showing in Canada after Vancouver (+10,000 jobs). This all bodes well as 2014 begins with a positive outlook, particularly as regards the global economy.
Louis Gagnon
Senior Economist
Quebec International
