Statistics Canada’s November labour force survey shows the country’s unemployment rate rose last month but the local number is very different.
That national rate climbed to 6.8 per cent from 6.5 per cent in October, as more people looked for work.
It reports the economy added 51-thousand jobs last month noting employment gains concentrated in full-time work.
Average hourly wages were up 4.1 per cent from a year ago– marking a slowdown in annual wage growth from October.
Now, the unemployment rate for the Belleville Census Metropolitan Area which includes Belleville, Quinte West, Deseronto-Tyendinaga and Stirling-Rawdon, fell in November to just 1.8 per cent, a national low among cities.
The Belleville CMA also had the lowest figure in October when the rate was 3.2 per cent.
Ontario’s rate rose to 7.6 per cent in November from 6.8 per cent the month before, behind only Prince Edward Island (8.0 per cent) and Newfoundland and Labrador (10.8 per cent).
(With files from the Canadian Press)
