Greater Sudbury's jobless rate dips to 6.3 per cent

Statistics Canada's monthly employment figures were released Friday, showing the city added about 100 jobs in August. Combined with a drop of about 400 in the size of the workforce, the unemployment rate dipped by 0.7 per cent.

The city's jobless rate dipped last month as a result, declining to 6.3 per cent, compared to seven per cent in July. The number of people in the active labour market was 87,400 in July, dipping to 87,000 last month.

Nationally, the country's unemployment rate was unchanged from the previous month at seven per cent. Ontario's rate edged upward 0.1 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Between July and August, the economy lost 11,000 jobs, most of them part-time positions.

Economists had expected the economy to add 10,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate to remain steady.

Statistics Canada says fewer people had jobs in wholesale and retail trade, transportation and warehousing, while more people had jobs in construction, in professional, scientific and technical services, and in public administration.

The agency says the number of private-sector employees fell by 112,000 in August while self-employment rose by 87,000. The number of public-sector employees rose by 14,000 in August.

"Public-sector employment has been on an upward trend since February 2014, while the trend for private-sector employees and self-employment has been relatively flat since the fall of 2013," Statistics Canada said in its release.

Fewer young people and women had jobs in August, says Statistics Canada. The number of people between the ages of 15 and 24 working fell by 20,000 during the month. Employment fell by 18,000 among women aged 25 to 54.

Men, however, fared better. Statistics Canada says the number of men between the ages of 25 to 54 with jobs rose by 36,000 in August.

Employment fell in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador, and rose in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.