The labor market remained strong in June as 60,000 more jobs were added across the country. In Quebec, the unemployment rate went from 4% to 4.4%.

Employment was little changed in Quebec for a fifth consecutive month in June. The unemployment rate rose because more people were looking for work, according to Statistics Canada,

Despite the increase of 60,000 jobs, the unemployment rate also increased from 5.2% to 5.4% in Canada, because more people were looking for work. The unemployment rate is at its highest level in more than a year.

There were 1.1 million unemployed people in Canada in June, up 4.9% from the previous month. Despite the two increases in May and June, the unemployment rate in Canada remains lower than the average of 5.7% for the 12 months preceding the pandemic, points out Static Canada.

Job creation in June was concentrated in Ontario (56,000), Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Quebec has 8,400 fewer jobs, a decrease of 0.2% compared to the previous month.

Employment increased in wholesale and retail trade (33,000), manufacturing (27,000), health care and social assistance (21,000) and transportation and warehousing (10 000). The construction sector, educational services and agriculture lost jobs.

Wage growth continues to moderate. Average hourly earnings rose 4.2% in June from a year earlier, after rising 5.1% in May. Total hours worked were virtually unchanged in June and were up 2.0% from a year earlier.