Statistics Canada reported Friday that employment fell by 13,000 in July, all in part-time jobs, and the unemployment rate rose 0.1% to 7.8%.

On the bright side, though, since the start of 2003, StatsCan said employment has increased by only 0.5%, much slower than the 2.3% growth observed in the first seven months of 2002. StatsCan said that this compares favourably to the United States, where employment has continued to decline in July and is down 0.3% so far in 2003.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is set to make its next announcement on interest rates next Tuesday. The Bank of Canada, which may rates again due to the jobless picture, is making its next announcement on Sept. 3.

U.S. stocks headed higher at Friday’s opening bell. The blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average rose 30 points, to 9,156. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index advanced 3 points to 977. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 8 points to 1,660.

Shortly after the S&P/TSX Composite index is up 23.90 points to 7,204.17.

Overnight in Asia, the Nikkei rose 61.97 points, or 0.67%, to 9,327.53. Mobile phone service provider NTT DoCoMo and video-game maker Sega leading the gains.

In Hong Kong shares closed lower for a fifth consecutive session. The Hang Seng Index slipped 12.83 points, or 0.13%, to 9,945.22.

The European bourses are up in early afternoon trading. London’s FTSE 100 index has gained 49.4 points, or 1.2%, to 4145. Paris’s CAC 40 index is up 41.59 points, or 1.3%, to 3172.15. Frankfurt’s DAX 30 index is up 20.22 points, or 0.6%, to 3352.11.