The number of people employed in Quebec remained unchanged in November compared to the previous month, while the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 5.2%.
According to Statistics Canada data released on Friday, the unemployment rate increased by 1.3 percentage points compared to the record low observed in November 2022 and January 2023 in La Belle province.
The number of part-time workers was lower in this eleventh month of the year, with the number of workers in the sector falling by 1.1% in Quebec.
However, more Quebecers found full-time jobs (+0.2%), but not enough to offset the loss of part-time jobs.
In the Montreal Census metropolitan area (CMA), the unemployment rate remained completely unchanged between October and November 2023 and remained at 6%.
Similar to Canada
The same reality was also reflected at the national level, as employment also barely fluctuated, increasing by just 0.1% in November.
“The employment rate has declined in four of the past five months and has generally been on a downward trend since January 2023, when it recently reached a high of 62.5%,” the federal agency noted.
The unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 5.8%. It rose between April and November, especially among young people aged 15 to 24.
Manufacturing and construction saw a labor force increase of 1.6% and 1%, respectively. On the other hand, there were declines in wholesale and retail trade (-0.9%), but also in the areas of finance, insurance, real estate services and rental and leasing (-1.3%).
Originally posted 2023-12-01 17:30:32.