(Flikr)
Dondre Stewart
Canada’s unemployment rate has risen to 7.3 per cent for the month of February, according to Statistics Canada (Stats Can) labour force survey.
This job-less rate has increased by 0.1 points for the third month in a row. The report found, for the first time in three years that the unemployment rate is now at 7.3 per cent.
The labour force survey says there were 2,300 jobs lost in February.
Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island were the provinces that had employment declines. Saskatchewan lost almost 8,000 jobs with their rate increasing from 5.6 to 5.9 per cent, according to the report.
The country’s youth employment rate rose to 13.3 per cent in February, compared to 13.0 percent in January of this year.
Daniel Yeboah, a Computer Engineering Student at Humber, told Humber News that finding jobs in this market is tough.
“I’m currently employed but I don’t get enough hours at where I’m at. So I’ve been really looking for a job and it’s not easy,” said Yeboah.
“I feel like there’s so many students like me looking for part time jobs that there’s not enough opportunities for everybody.”
Manvir Pama, a Health and Fitness Promotion student at Humber, says all students should be aware of the unemployment rates.
“I think especially if a student is putting all their time and effort into studying to graduate that they should know about this. They should know about what they’re getting into once they’re in the workforce,” Pama said.
“We should be prepared because we might not get the jobs we want or any when we graduate.”
Canadian unemployment rates by province for month of February
Canada’s national unemployment rate was 7.3 per cent in February. Here’s what happened provincially (previous month in brackets):
-Newfoundland and Labrador 14.1 per cent (14.4)
-Prince Edward Island 11.0 (9.5)
-Nova Scotia 9.1 (8.5)
-New Brunswick 9.9 (9.3)
-Quebec 7.6 (7.6)
-Ontario 6.8 (6.7)
-Manitoba 6.0 (6.1)
-Saskatchewan 5.9 (5.6)
-Alberta 7.9 (7.4)
-British Columbia 6.6 (6.6)