OTTAWA, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Canada's unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.5 percent in December as some industries gained jobs and others lost, Statistics Canada reported Friday.
The agency said job gains were made in healthcare and social assistance, as well as in professional, scientific and technical services. Those were offset by declines in transportation and warehousing; business, building and other support services and public administration.
Manufacturing, hit hard by last year's recession, showed modest gains and was up 30,000 jobs since March, StatsCan said.
By region, employment increased in Alberta, but declined in Manitoba and New Brunswick and was largely unchanged elsewhere.
The report said the only demographic group with a notable employment change in December was women aged 25 to 54, which was down 24,000 jobs.
