Employment jumped by an estimated 55,000 in March, continuing the upward trend that began in September 2006. Despite this growth in employment, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.1% as more people entered the labour market, according to Statistics Canada.

In the first quarter of 2007, employment grew by an estimated 158,000, the strongest first quarter growth since 2002. Provincial growth rates for the first quarter were particularly strong in British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick.

The employment rate in March reached 63.5%, its highest level in 31 years. March’s employment increase is largely attributable to strength in Quebec and British Columbia. These two provinces, along with Manitoba, boosted their employment rates to record levels.

British Columbia’s unemployment rate dipped to a record low of 3.9% in March.

The employment rate for adult women reached an all-time high of 59% in March, as women continue to be the main beneficiaries of employment growth.

Canada’s labour force participation rate — the proportion of the working-age population that has a job or is looking for one — has jumped 0.6 percentage points since October 2006, reaching 67.7% in March. This strong increase is primarily the result of more women participating in the labour force.

Women aged 25 and over captured most of the employment increases in March (+39,000). Steady employment growth since the start of 2006 has led to a series of record employment rates for adult women, reaching a new high of 59.0% in March. Over the past twelve months, employment growth for adult women (+3.8%) was more than double that of adult men (+1.7%). Employment growth among youths remained more modest at 1.2%.

Women aged 55 and over attained a record high employment rate of 25.8% in March. While the employment rate for women aged 25 to 54 has been increasing for several decades, the upward trend in the employment rate for older women began in 1997. Older men have also seen their employment rate rise over the same period.

Gains in March were based in the service sector, especially in trade, accommodation and food services, information, culture and recreation, and other services.

Employment growth in the service sector in March (+66,000) more than offset the weakness of the goods-producing sector. The largest increases in the service sector were in Ontario (+26,000), Quebec (+19,000) and Alberta (+19,000).

Employment in trade grew by an estimated 27,000 in March, with almost half the increase in Alberta (+12,000). The month’s strength was driven mainly by gains in wholesale trade, potentially a result of increased activity following the strike by Canadian National Railway Co. workers that ended in February.

Accommodation and food services employment grew by 15,000 in March, a result of an increase in accommodation services. Over the past year, employment in accommodation and food services has risen by 8.8%. This represents the largest increase among the different service-producing industries, with Ontario accounting for more than half of the growth.