The composite leading index rose by 0.6% in April as housing picked up again, Statistics Canada said today.

Six components in the index increased, one less than in March when the index advanced by 0.7%.

“The housing index, after snapping out of a three-month slide in March, jumped 1.4% in April, its largest gain in six months,” StatsCan said Wednesday.

“This reflected strong sales: even with housing starts in April at their fourth-highest level in the past 15 years, the number of vacant units continued to fall in several cities in Ontario and British Columbia.”

The U.S. leading indicator recorded its 11th consecutive advance as households drove economic growth south of the border. This reflected U.S. job gains for a second straight month — the first significant gains since 2001.

However, the demand for labour continued to lag in Canada, particularly in manufacturing. The average work week in manufacturing fell as it has steadily over the last two years as manufacturers responded to rising demand by reducing inventories.