New Brunswick adds 4,200 jobs, unemployment rate drops in December

The New Brunswick economy added atotal of 4,200 jobs in December as the province saw its unemployment rate fall in December, according to Statistics Canada.

The monthly labour force report showed 2,700 full-time jobs and 1,600 part-time jobs were added in December.

The unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 per cent last month compared to 8.3 per cent in November.

• New Brunswick's jobless rate tumbles to 6.5% as thousands leave labour force
• New Brunswick jobless rate hits lowest level since 2009
• N.B. employers have jobs they can't fill so they're looking south for job-seekers

The labour force rose by 2,900 which increased the participation rate to 61.8 per cent, an increase of 0.4 per cent from November.

Meanwhile,Canada added 79,000 jobs last month, pushing the jobless rate to its lowest level since 1976.

The jobless rate was pushed down two-tenths of a percentage pointto 5.7 per cent, Statistics Canada said

That's the lowest on record sincecomparable data became available 42 years ago.