The Labour Force Survey released by Statistics Canada today shows 74,400 Islanders were employed in October, an increase of 700 jobs from last month, and a decrease of 100 jobs from one year ago. Prince Edward Island’s unemployment rate increased slightly to 9.9 per cent in October, up from 9.3 per cent in September.
“We will continue to monitor our services and programs to meet the needs of our unemployed Islanders,” said Workforce and Advanced Learning Minister Richard Brown. “Our people are our greatest resources, and we need to ensure we provide them with the support they need to gain employment.”
The Government of Prince Edward Island is committed to expanding opportunities for Islanders to learn and work here on Prince Edward Island, and in connecting employers with employees to achieve higher levels of employment. Today there are 351 job advertisements, some with multiple vacancies, for Prince Edward Island on the Job Bank, maintained by SkillsPEI on behalf of the e Government of Canada. These range from professional positions to entry-level service jobs.
The province’s labour force participation rate improved, with 68.2 per cent of Islanders engaged in the labour force (either employed or seeking work) in October, compared to 67.2 per cent last month. The total labour force increased by 500 from October 2014 to total 82,600.
Nationally, employment increased by 44,000, bringing the number of employed individuals to over 18 million for the first time. The unemployment rate declined to 7.0 per cent. Employment in public administration increased across all provinces, mostly in temporary work, coinciding with activities related to the October federal election.
Minister Brown participated in the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC)’s Business Outlook, “The Future is Here,” today, an annual conference that offers guidance to the business community for the region.
“I was pleased to see APEC’s positive outlook projecting employment growth in 2016. The conference focused on Atlantic Canada, and specifically how we can all embrace innovation and technology to bridge productivity gaps,” added the minister.
BACKGROUNDER
The Department of Workforce and Advanced Learning has a mandate to help Islanders improve their skills through education and training, and to help employers find workers to meet their labour needs on PEI.
SkillsPEI, the provincial government’s main deliverer of training and skills development offers several programs aimed at preparing individuals for the job market; including Training PEI, Employ PEI, Self Employ PEI, Career Prep Program, Graduate Mentorship Program, Passport to Employment, Canada-PEI Job Grant, and Workforce Development Fund.
The Labour Force Survey estimates produced monthly by Statistics Canada are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. As a result, monthly estimates will show more variability than trends observed over longer time periods. Estimates for smaller geographic areas or industries also have more variability.