Article content continued

The unemployment rate, however, was unchanged in August at 7%.

Statistics Canada said both full-time and part-time positions were down marginally in August, with almost all of the losses — 112,000 — coming in the private sector. Data for self-employment showed the only significant movement, registering an increase of 86,900 during the month.

By sector, goods producing jobs rose by only 10,000 overall, as gains of 24,400 in construction were offset by a drop of 11,000 in manufacturing and in the number workers in natural resources industries, down 2,100.

[np_storybar title=”Here’s what happened provincially with unemployment rates” link=””] Previous month in brackets:

— Newfoundland 13.5 (12.4)

— Prince Edward Island 10.0 (9.4)

— Nova Scotia 8.8 (9.4)

— New Brunswick 8.7 (10.0)

— Quebec 7.7 (8.1)

— Ontario 7.4 (7.5)

— Manitoba 5.5 (5.3)

— Saskatchewan 4.2 (3.2)

— Alberta 4.9 (4.7)

— British Columbia 6.1 (5.9)

Canadian Press

[/np_storybar]

The services sector lost 21,000 positions in August, led by a drop of 26,500 workers in trade industries. Transportation and housing payrolls fell by 14,700, while there was a 13,500 decline in the number of people employed by finance, insurance real estate and leasing operations. Information, culture and recreation outlets shed 10,600 positions and workers in educational services were down by 7,100.

Meanwhile, professional, scientific and technical services added 21,300 to their payrolls, and public administration increased by 20,500 last month, while accommodation and food services gained 6,900.

The Canadian dollar weakened against most of its major peers after the jobs report, bolstering the case the central bank made earlier this week for waiting to raise interest rates.

“It probably confirms their neutral bias going forward,” said Shaun Osborne, chief currency strategist at Toronto- Dominion Bank, in a phone interview.

The loonie lost 0.1% to C$1.0885 per U.S. dollar at 8:48 a.m. in Toronto. One loonie buys 91.87 U.S. cents.

With files from Bloomberg