OTTAWA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Canada's employment declined by 42,000, or 0.2 percent, in August and the employment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 60.8 percent, Statistics Canada said Friday.
The decrease follows a cumulative increase of 181,000 from April to July, said the national statistical agency, adding that on a year-over-year basis, employment was up by 217,000 in August.
Industries dependent on U.S. demand for exports continue to face an uncertain economic context, compounded by the recent imposition of new U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports, said the agency.
According to the agency, in the 12 months to August, the layoff rate averaged 0.9 percent among workers in industries dependent on U.S. demand for exports. By comparison, the rate was 0.7 percent for other industries over the same period.
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.4 percent, said Statistics Canada. ■
