Canada’s jobless rate edged down to 7.5% in November as the economy added a better-than-expected 54,100 jobs, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

That’s the third consecutive monthly increase, while the labour force participation rate climbed to a record 67.6%.

Since August, employment has grown by 166,000, much stronger than the 52,000 increase over the first eight months of the year. This brings gains over the first 11 months of 2003 to 1.4%. The recent strength in employment has been mostly in full-time jobs. The unemployment rate declined 0.1 percentage points in November to 7.5%.

Most of the jobs created were full-time (36,000). The gains were also well distributed by age and sector, with 10 sectors reporting gains. However, on a regional basis, the gains were almost solely concentrated in Quebec.

BMO Nesbitt Burns economist Doug Porter said this jobs report will “dampen talk” that the Bank of Canada needs to cut interest rates soon to help the economy.

“The big pop in factory jobs … suggests that the rebound in U.S. growth is dominating the rise in the loonie,” he said.