Articles : Upward employment trend continues in TECH; employment rate falls first time since April

There has been a continued upward trend in professional, scientific, and technical services, as a relatively small share of jobs in this industry, require close physical proximity to others, limiting the impact of public health measures on the sector.

Jobs in this field rose by 17,000 in December, however most of the employment increase occurred in Quebec.

Nationally, employment in professional, scientific, and technical services was 4.8% higher in December than in February.

Overall, employment fell for the first time since April last month, with December seeing a loss of 63,000 jobs.

Employment fell in industries most directly affected by new and continuing public health measures, including accommodation and food services; "other services"; and information, culture, and recreation.

Part-time employment declined by 99,000 last month, led by losses among youth aged 15 to 24 (58,000) and those 55 and older (27, 000).

The number of self-employed workers were at its lowest point since February, falling by 62,000 in December.

The unemployment rate was 8.6% in December, essentially unchanged from 8.5% in November.

References:
Statistics Canada