Unemployment rate steady at 7.4% in Canada

Employment rose for the third consecutive month in June, Statistics Canada reported Friday, with 28,000 jobs created, but the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.4 per cent as more people joined the job market.

Growth of 15,000 jobsin the transportation and warehousing sectors was offset by a decline of 19,000 jobsin professional, scientific and technical services.

There were employment increases in the public and private sectors, but a reduction in the number of people self-employed.

Over the past 12 months, public sector employment has grown by 2.5 per cent, private sector employment is up 1.5 per cent, and the number of self-employed is little changed.

In June, the number of public-sector employees rose by51,000, while the private-sector gain was22,000. Thenumber of self-employed fell by 44,000.

Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia posted employment gains in June, while there were declines in Quebec as well as Newfoundland and Labrador.

Employment was little changed in the other provinces.

Women over 25 accounted for most of the gain,with 26,300 more members of that group working in June than May. However, the gain was all in part-time work; the number holding full-time jobs fell by 5,700.