Job stats show city treading water

Sudbury’s jobless rate edged downward in July, Statistics Canada reported Aug. 10, dropping to 7.3 per cent from 7.4 per cent a month ago.

Sudbury actually lost jobs last month – about 600 – but there were fewer people looking for work, which led to the decline.

“If the world economy were in good shape, this would be a very poor performance,” Laurentian University economist David Robinson wrote in his monthly employment analysis. “In the current situation, it might be described as successfully treading water,” adding that things are better than they were a year ago.

Canada-wide, job gains were concentrated in Ontario and almost entirely for women. Full-time employment in the province is up by 10,600, with women older than 25 gaining 15,000 full-time jobs. That’s reflected in the fact that education, health care and social assistance saw job growth, all fields dominated by women, Robinson wrote.

“Ontario men over 25 actually lost jobs,” he said.

The Canadian trade deficit in June was larger than expected at $1.8 billion, up from a $1.0 billion deficit in May. There was also a13.9% jump in automotive exports, a strong sign of strength that benefited Ontario as a whole.