OTTAWA, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Canada's unemployment rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to 7.1 percent in August, the government's data office said Friday.
Employment increased by 59,000 jobs in the month, returning the rate to where it was in June.
On average, the economy has gained 12,000 jobs per month in the six months to August, less than half the 29,000 jobs per month average of the six months prior.
In the past 12 months, employment has climbed by 1.4 percent with an addition of 246,000 jobs. The number of hours worked has also grown, Statistics Canada said, climbing 1.3 percent in the past year.
The unemployment rate in the province of Ontario in August hit 7.5 percent with the addition of 44,000 jobs, mostly in part-time work, StatsCan said.
In Alberta, employment rose by 15,000 in the month, adding to employment growth for the province, which is 3.6 percent on an annual basis.
More persons looked for work in the province in August, however, pushing the unemployment rate higher -- from 4.5 percent to 4.8 percent.
Employment was little changed in Quebec, but the unemployment rate for the province fell 0.3 percentage points to 7.9 percent, as fewer persons were looking for work.
In Manitoba, employment declined for the second consecutive month, StatsCan said. Fewer people looking for work, however, helped the unemployment rate for the province drop 0.3 percentage points to 5.2 percent.
