Local Unemployment Rate Climbs

Canada’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.8 percent for a sixth consecutive month in July, the government statistical agency said Friday.

Since the province’s most recent employment peak in September, the labour force has lost 28,000 positions, or 15 per cent overall.

Nearly 24,000 new part-time jobs were created, while more than 17,000 full-time jobs were shed.

After reaching a almost eight year low in June the local unemployment rate climbed in July as more people returned to the labour force.

The monthly survey provides a fresh reading on Canada’s economy, one of the major issues for the federal election campaign that was officially launched this week.

In Ontario and British Columbia, two of the country’s most populous provinces, total employment was little changed in July as decreases in full-time employment were offset by part-time jobs.

Employment rose in Quebec and Nova Scotia, but dropped in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island.

The government reports there were about 6,600 jobs added to the economy last month.

Though the jobless rate increased London remains below the national average of 6.8% and the provincial rate which fell 0.1% to 6.5%.

That’s up from the reported 5.9% in June. The number of full-time…