The Conference Board says it is looking for a rebound in job creation for February when the new employment statistics are published Friday.

The think-tank says its national help-wanted index jumped by the largest margin in almost two years in January with every province except Newfoundland trending up.

This suggests a major job boost in February, but given the roller-coaster results in the index the past few months, the Conference Board believes employment gains will be more modest.

It estimates about 29,000 jobs will be added in February, which would still be a strong result given that January saw a drop of 22,000.

The index suggests the strongest gains will come in Western Canada, particularly in Saskatchewan and Alberta.