Employment decrease for November

Statistics Canada today released its Labour Force Survey data for November. Employment in the province decreased by 1.1 per cent, or 2,400 jobs compared to the same time period last year. The unemployment rate, driven by employment declines and strong labour force growth of 1.7 per cent, was 17.1 per cent, an increase of 2.4 percentage points from the same month last year.

Employment declined in several industries, notably manufacturing, educational services, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, and construction.

Ralph Wiseman, Minister of Human Resources and Employment said today: "In the meantime, this month we are looking at a labour market participation rate of 57.8%. This is the highest rate that has ever been measured for the month of November in Newfoundland and Labrador. Combined with a labour force increase of 1.7 per cent year-over-year, this indicates that confidence levels are high as we move into the new year. Also, employment has increased in several industries including health care, primary fishing, accommodations and food services, and management and related services.

"It is also worthy to note that the income support caseload continues a year-over-year improvement.

"Despite weakness in recent months, employment has still increased by 1.4 per cent through the first eleven months of 2002, in line with the provincial economic forecast. We expect that employment in 2002 will average about 214,000, or about 2,700 jobs higher than 2001."

On a seasonally adjusted basis, employment stood at 209,500, a decrease of 0.9 per cent from October 2002, and the unemployment rate was 18.5 per cent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the previous month. Seasonally adjusted data looks at patterns of employment change within the current year from one month to the next, whereas the actual data compares employment this year to employment last year.

Media contact: Simon N. Lono, Communications, (709) 729-4062.

2002 12 06                                        4:20 p.m.