Payrolls declined in September, but job vacancies rose and labour demand edged higher, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The national statistical agency reported that payroll employment declined 0.3% at the end of the third quarter, representing 57,400 workers. This drop in employment followed a gain of 39,500 in July, and a relatively flat August.
The retail sector led the contraction (13,200 workers), followed by the food and accommodation sector (9,100) and a couple of services sectors.
In total, nine sectors recorded declines in employment, while the other 11 were largely unchanged, the report showed.
And, despite the monthly drop, payroll employment was still up by 94,900 on a year-over-year basis in September, StatCan said.
At the same time, StatCan also reported that job vacancies rose in September, following a flat August and three consecutive monthly declines from May to July.
The job vacancy rate — the share of total labour demand accounted for by open jobs — ticked up to 3% in the month, its first rise in six months.
However, on a year-over-year basis, the number of job vacancies was still down 18.1% in September, as vacancies declined in 13 out of 20 sectors over that period, the agency noted.
Additionally, StatCan reported that average weekly earnings were up 0.5% in September, which represented a slowdown after a 0.7% increase in August.
“On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings were up 5.2% in September, following a 4.9% increase in August,” StatCan said.