OTTAWA, March 11 (UPI) -- The Canadian unemployment rate was unchanged in February, remaining at 7.8 percent, the government said.
Statistics Canada said the economy added 15,000 jobs in the month, bringing the total job gain of the past three months to 115,000. Over the past 12 months, 322,000 jobs have been added to the economy.
Part-time jobs in the past 12 months have gained faster than full-time, rising 5.1 percent and 1.1 percent respectively.
February also saw a surge in new self-employed positions, which gained by 26,000, while private sector jobs fell and public sector jobs were "little changed,"
Two provinces had notable swings with Alberta gaining 14,000 jobs and Saskatchewan losing 3,300. Other provinces saw little change.
Healthcare and social assistance jobs led the month's jobs added with 18,000, followed by hotel and food service positions, which increased by 15,000.
The number of jobs in manufacturing was little changed, while positions in business, building and other support services dropped by 35,000, the government said.
