NB 1115
Sept. 7, 2007
FREDERICTON (CNB) - New Brunswick experienced the second-largest employment growth in the country last month, with 12,900 more New Brunswickers working than at the same time last year. The labour force also grew by 8,600, to stand at 393,500 over the same period.
Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Ed Doherty reported today on provincial highlights of the Statistics Canada monthly labour force survey for August.
"This dramatic employment and labour force growth is very encouraging, and our government will remain committed to improving these figures even further by making the necessary transformational changes," Doherty said. "That is why we are working with our employment sectors and consulting our stakeholders through online discussions leading up to our Skills Summit early next year to help develop a long-term action plan."
Figures released by Statistics Canada show that there were 363,200 New Brunswickers employed in August, up by 12,900 from the same time last year, and up 1,000 from last month. The increase in employment and the labour force also fuelled a small increase in the monthly unemployment rate, which stood at 7.7 per cent last month, but it was down significantly from last August when it was 9 per cent.
"The goal of the Skills Summit process is to work together to help develop an action plan that all stakeholders can have a part in to reduce the existing skill gaps, barriers and shortages in our province," Doherty said. "The employment and labour force growth we are experiencing are indicators that by building a skilled workforce, growing our population, and by providing the training opportunities necessary for our people, we will continue to be even more successful over the long term.
"Our government will continue to work with all stakeholders so we can help build a skilled labour force in order to move our province further down the road to self-sufficiency by 2026."
Employment growth in August was strongest in these three areas on a year-over-year basis: the utilities sector; the construction sector; and the agriculture sector.
07/09/07
MEDIA CONTACT: Shawn Hearn, communications, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, 506-453-2568.
07/09/07