Employment Increased 3.1% in February 2013

Employment in Newfoundland and Labrador increased in February 2013.  The number of people employed totalled 223,800 – representing an increase of 6,700 persons or 3.1% relative to February 2012.

The participation rate increased 1.0 percentage points to 60.0%. This led to a 1.7% increase in the labour force. Because the increase in employment was higher than the gain in the labour force, the unemployment rate decreased. The unemployment rate was 13.0% in February, down 1.2 percentage points from February 2012.

Employment gains were recorded in several industries, including: construction (up 3,100); other services (up 2,800); health care and social assistance (up 2,000); and transportation and warehousing (up 1,800). Employment decreased in several industries including: professional, scientific and technical services (down 2,500); and trade (down 1,500).

On a year-to-date basis (January to February), employment averaged 221,900, a 3.4% increase over the same period of 2012.

The Department of Finance’s March 2013 forecast projects employment to increase by 2.8% and the unemployment rate to average 11.5% in 2013.

 Glossary terms:
Labour Force | Employed | Unemployed | Unemployment Rate | Participation Rate | Employment Rate

Statistical Reference:   Statistics used in this analysis were current at the time of writing. For the latest in employment statistics visit the Newfoundland & Labrador Statistics Agency  site and the release dates on the Statistics Canada site.