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Canada gained 41,400 jobs in April, according to Statistics Canada's latest Labour Force Survey. The unemployment rate has held steady near its record low at 5.0 percent since December 2022.

The latest Labour Force Survey  captures Canada’s labour market conditions for the week of April 9 to 15, 2023.

The employment gains were more than double what analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast. Experts had predicted that a net 20,000 jobs would be gained in April and the unemployment rate would edge up to 5.1 percent, Reuters reported.

All job gains were in part-time work. It was the first notable increase in part-time work since October 2022. In April, Canada gained 47,600 part-time jobs, which more than offset the 6,200 full-time jobs lost.

Average hourly wages were up 5.2 percent on a year-over-year basis, growing faster than inflation, which was 4.3 percent in March. Experts predict it will fall to about 3 percent by mid-year.

The Bank of Canada watches average hourly wages closely, as higher wages cold put upward pressure on prices. Canada’s central bank has been warning that a tight labour market could make it difficult to get inflation back to its target of 2 percent.

The central bank has been holding its key interest rate at 4.5 percent, after a period of aggressive rate hikes.

The labour force survey shows that despite the higher interest rates, the Canadian labour market has remained resilient, posting faster-than-expected growth and steady unemployment.

Wholesale and retail trade lead increases

The industries that saw the most gains in April include: wholesale and retail trade; transportation and warehousing; information, culture and recreation; and educational services.

Employment in wholesale and retail trade increased by 24,000 in April, following little change in February and March. Employment gains in the wholesale and retail trade industry this year have partially offset a net decline of 145,000 from May to December 2022.

Chart 2: Wholesale and retail trade leads employment growth in April

Jobs in transportation and warehousing rose by 17,000 in April, building on a notable increase in March. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the industry was up by 47,000 in April.

Employment in information, culture and recreation rose by 16,000 in April, following three consecutive months of little change.  2023. Compared with a recent low observed in October 2022, employment in the information, culture and recreation industry was up by 58,000 last month.

Educational services jobs increased by 15,000 in April, following two months of little change. Employment in the industry has trended up since August 2022, totalling 71,000 over eight months.

Fewer people were working in business, building and other support services in April 2023, partially offsetting an increase in March. However, employment in this industry was up by 32,000 year over year.

Employment in health care and social assistance, as well as  professional, scientific and technical services held steady in April. Health care and social assistance continued to be the second-largest industry in terms of employment in April, after wholesale and retail trade.

On a year-over-year basis, employment in professional, scientific and technical services was up by 68,000 jobs, largely reflecting increases in the spring and fall of 2022.

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Expert resources to help immigrants get jobs in Canada

Canada’s job market provides a wealth of opportunity for newcomers, but it is only that — an opportunity.

To take full advantage, recent and prospective immigrants can leverage free government-funded resources and programs. We recently partnered with Canada InfoNet, a government-funded pre-arrival employment support program, to bring you two expert guides on transitioning to a career in Canada:

The outlook on Canadian construction and infrastructure

This past February, employment in construction was up 4.6 percent on a year-over-year basis, making it one of the fastest-growing industries over the previous 12 months.

“Canada’s construction sector continues to perform well. Across real estate there has been a noticeable pullback in high-rise residential activity but strong growth in long term care homes and social housing project. Infrastructure continues to boom with huge Federal spending across healthcare, water and transportation infrastructure expected to drive the construction sector forward for the coming years.

Canada's job market: Ruairi Spillane, founder of Outpost Recruitment
Moving2Canada and Outpost Recruitment Founder, Ruairi Spillane

Outpost helps motivated candidates find suitable jobs in Canada. The agency works with general contractors, subcontractors, developers, and consultants who are hiring across senior management, operations, project management, site, design, quality, and commercial personnel.

Outpost Recruitment is actively looking for candidates for projects across Canada. View the latest job postings here.

How to take advantage in Canada’s job market

The Moving2Canada team has a special feature for people who want to get a job in Canada or accelerate their career here. Readers can now opt in to hear from recruiters and employers we partner with and upload a resume to their account, all for free.

We’re excited to help more newcomers and people wishing to move to Canada in their career goals.

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How to get a job in Canada

If you’re looking for a job in Canada here are some steps you can take to land that sweet, sweet Canadian job offer.

Here’s a popular webinar from recruitment expert and Moving2Canada founder, Ruairi Spillane, about how to create the best resume for the Canadian jobs market:

New and improved Jobs Board

We have worked hard over recent weeks to ramp up the number and range of job postings on our Jobs Board.

Don’t forget to complete or update your Moving2Canada profile to hear about job opportunities in your industry in Canada!

Want to dig deeper into the Canada Jobs Report data? Try these interactive tools, courtesy of StatsCan.