Strong job growth and dealer incentives helped drive new-vehicle sales up for a fourth consecutive month in April.

Statistics Canada said Monday that sales increased 2.6% vs March to 137,719 with sales up across the country. That was the highest level of unit sales in the past eight months. About two-thirds of the increase came from the sale of new passenger cars.

“An estimated 56,000 new full-time jobs were created in April, interest rates remained at historic lows, and auto makers continued to offer generous incentives,” StatsCan said in a report. “Deals included interest free loans, subsidized loan rates, and thousands of dollars in cash rebates on some models.”

But the agency also said preliminary figures from the auto industry indicate the number of new motor vehicles sold dropped 3.9% in May, with most of the decrease coming from lower passenger car sales.

Statistics Canada said passenger car sales rose 3.2% from March. North American-built vehicle sales benefited the most, with a 3.9% increase for the month. Overseas-built car sales, while still up, posted a smaller gain. Truck sales increased 2.9% in April.

The agency noted that truck sales — minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses — have been generally closing the gap with passenger car sales over the past year and a half.

Passenger car and truck sales both rose in the first four months of 2004, following a period of sharp declines in the second half of 2003.