Canadian employers added 15,200 jobs in August as the national unemployment rate for the month remained steady at 6.1%.

Economists had been forecasting job growth of about 10,000 for last month.

Statistics Canada said today that all of August’s job gains were in full-time work. Private-sector employment grew by 41,000, while public sector employment dipped by 24,000 and self-employment eased by 1,800.

The August report was a rebound from July, when the economy shed 55,000 jobs.

Statistics Canada said there were job gains in Saskatchewan and Ontario, while Nova Scotia and Manitoba lost jobs. Employment was virtually unchanged in the other provinces.

During August, employment increased in educational services, construction, utilities, and accommodation and food services. The health-care and social assistance, agriculture and public administration sectors all saw declines in employment.

The manufacturing sector saw a slight increase in manufacturing employment in last month.

U.S. economy sheds jobs

South of the border, the U.S. jobless rate jumped to 6.1% in August as employment fell for an eighth-straight month, raising the risk of recession in the United States as households face a struggling labour market and high inflation.

The U.S. Labor Department said 84,000 jobs were lost in August, significantly higher than the 75,000 that economists had forecast. In addition, July’s job losses were revised up to 60,000 and June’s to 100,000 from a previously reported 51,000 in each month.

http://www.statscan.ca/Daily/English/080905/d080905a.htm