New Brunswick adds 5,100 jobs in February

The New Brunswick economy added a total of 5,100 full and part-time jobs in February as the province saw its unemployment rate fall from January, according to Statistics Canada's monthly labour force report.

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The unemployment rate fell 0.9 percentage points, to 8.2 per cent, in February. In February 2017, the rate was 8.7 per cent.

For the most part, the unemployment rate in all areas of the province was lower in February 2018 compared to a year ago.

Statistics Canada cautions against reading too much into month-to-month changes and says year-to-year comparisons are more relevant.

Of the 5,100 jobs that were added in February, 1,200 were part time and 3,900 were full time. This means the participation rate edged up 0.3 per cent to a total of 61.9 per cent.

In January, Gordon Song, a Statistics Canada analyst, said employment in the province was down 5,800 jobs.

But in February more than 2,000 jobs opened up in the professions and scientific and technical services across the province, Song said Friday.

In the field of manufacturing, more than 1,600 jobs opened up. Meanwhile, in transportation and warehousing, there's about 800 new jobs. 

In the Atlantic region in February, New Brunswick had the second-lowest rate of unemployment, behind Nova Scotia, which was at 7.9 per cent. The highest rate in the country was in Newfoundland and Labrador, where it was 14 per cent. 

When compared to the rest of Canada, New Brunswick's unemployment rate is third highest, behind Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. 

Now and a year ago

In his Labour Market Bulletin, Samuel LeBreton, a Fredericton-based economist, said the labour market improved in the southeast, including the Moncton area, the northeast and northwest of the province. However, it worsened in the southwest, including Saint John, and the central region. 

In the Campbellton and Miramichi area, the unemployment rate was 9.5 per cent, down from 11 per cent last February.

In the Moncton and Richibucto area, unemployment was sitting at 8.5 per cent, dropping from 10.5 a year ago.

In the Saint John and St. Stephen area, unemployment was 6.2 per cent, down from 7.1 per cent.

In the Fredericton and Oromocto area, unemployment is sitting at 6.3 per cent, jumping up from 4.5 per cent.

In the Edmundston and Woodstock areas, the unemployment rate is sitting at three per cent, up slightly from 2.9 per cent.

Canada's job market added about 15,000 jobs in February, moving the unemployment rate down to 5.8 per cent.