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Canadian economy added 22,000 jobs last month, unemployment held steady

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says employment rose slightly in February as the economy added 22,000 jobs.

In its labour force survey Friday, the federal agency says the unemployment rate held steady at five per cent last month, hovering near record-lows.

The latest jobs numbers come after the economy added 150,000 jobs in January, which had raised eyebrows among economists anticipating a slowdown in the labour market.

In February, the gap between wage growth and inflation narrowed, with average hourly wages up 5.4 per cent compared with a year ago.

The Bank of Canada, which is working to bring down the country’s high inflation rate, has raised concerns that sustained four to five per cent wage growth will make it harder to return to its two per cent inflation target.

But the central bank says it expects the labour market to ease in the coming months, as higher interest rates slow spending by people and businesses.

News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2021