Highlights
- The Quebec City census metropolitan region (CMA) recorded a total of 423,200 jobs in February 2013, up 1,500 since January.
- Unemployment held steady at 4.6% in Quebec City in February——the third lowest rate in Canada.
- The employment rate continued to improve, eventually reaching 65.6%, thereby minimizing the spreads observed in Western Canada (where rates range around 70%).
- In the province of Quebec, the number of jobs dropped by 13,100 on a monthly basis in February. Unemployment rose by 0.3 points to 7.4%.
Commentary
The various trends emerging in February indicate that Quebec City’s employment market is holding steady in the construction and manufacturing industries. As regards services, certain sectors were apparently more active than others in terms of hiring, including professional, scientific and technical services; information, culture and recreation services; and public administration. This dynamism kept unemployment at 4.6%, marking the fourth month in a row that the rate was below 5%.
The good start to the year demonstrates that the demand for workers, particularly qualified labour, remains a key issue in the Quebec City region despite a still uncertain global economic context. With spring just around the corner, new hiring opportunities should gradually add up thanks to various major contracts and projects yet to be completed.
Louis Gagnon
Senior Economist
Quebec International
