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OTTAWA — Canada’s labour market appears to be performing surprisingly well at the moment.

Hiring activity in March more than made up for losses in the previous month and pushed the unemployment rate down to its lowest level in three months.

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* Newfoundland and Labrador 13.1 per cent (14.1)

* Prince Edward Island 11.0 (11.0)

* Nova Scotia 9.1 (9.1)

* New Brunswick 10.2 (9.9)

* Quebec 7.5 (7.6)

* Ontario 6.8 (6.8)

* Manitoba 6.0 (6.0)

* Saskatchewan 6.2 (5.9)

* Alberta 7.1 (7.9)

* British Columbia 6.5 (6.6)

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It also pushes back chances the Bank of Canada will consider cutting its trendsetting interest rate — now at 0.5 per cent — given that the job market looks healthier than many analysts had anticipated. The economy, likewise, has been growing stronger than previously thought.

If anything, the central bank will likely keep the rate where it is for the rest of this year and —depending whether the economy continues the strengthen, perhaps helped along by the federal government’s stimulus-spending plans — it’s more likely rates will start going higher in 2017.