Canada’s unemployment rate falls in March

OTTAWA – The Canadian economy added 303,000 jobs in March as employment increased, with gains in sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 public health restrictions.

Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate fell to 7.5 per cent last month, down 0.7 percentage points from February.

That’s the lowest it has been since February 2020.

In March, the agency notes there were about 95,000 more retail jobs, fully recouping losses sustained in January lockdowns, and an employment bump of 21,000 in the accommodation and food services sector.

The figure released Friday morning outpaced the 259,000 gain seen in February of this year that, at the time, whipped past expectation

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The March increase puts employment 296,000 shy of the pre-COVID level in February 2020, or roughly 1.5 per cent of pre-crisis levels.

The jobs numbers come just over a week before the federal Liberals release a budget where employment levels are expected to be used as a gauge for planned stimulus measures.

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