Employment gets a boost

Employment in Newfoundland and Labrador got a boost for the month of March, thanks to gains in the service sector.

Growth in health care, transportation and warehousing, professional and scientific services and information, culture and recreational services helped boost employment in the province by 1.6 per cent for March, an increase of about 3,000 jobs as compared to the same period last year.

The latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada also reported that the unemployment rate stood at 18.3 per cent for the month, a drop of 0.9 per cent compared to March 2000.

On a seasonally-adjusted basis, the unemployment rate was 16.6 per cent, up slightly by 0.2 of a percentage point.

"I'm happy to see continued employment gains across the service sector," said Gerald Smith, Minister of Human Resources and Employment. "The numbers are reason for optimism that the economy is moving in the right direction."

Media contact: Marcia Porter, Communications, (709) 729-4062.

2001 04 06                                      1:10 p.m.