The average weekly earnings of payroll employees edged up $1.76 in October from the previous month to $738.73, Statistics Canada reported today.

The year-to-date annual growth rate for 2005 is 3%, a figure obtained by comparing the average weekly earnings of the first 10 months of 2005 with the average of the same months of 2004.

Industries showing the strongest year-to-date annual increase were information and culture, up 5.4%; accommodation and food services up 5.1%; mining and oil and gas, up 5%; construction, up 4% and forestry, logging and support, up 3.9%.

There were 13.8 million employees receiving payroll employment in October, almost unchanged from September.

Employment increased by 1.2% since the beginning of the year, with Nova Scotia at 2.7% and Alberta at 2.4% showing the highest growth rates among the provinces.