After a big month of gains in January, job creation in Ontario still grew in February but at a slower pace, according to the latest Statistics Canada labour force survey.
"Following a sizeable gain in January, employment in Ontario was little changed in February and the unemployment rate was 9.1 per cent. Since May 2009, employment in the province has grown by 1.4 per cent (+92,000)," the national agency said Friday.
Ontario gained 7,100 full-time jobs and lost 1,700 part-time positions. To put those numbers in context, there were about 6,565,000 people employed in Ontario in February.
The province's population grew slightly and its labour force shrank slightly, causing the unemployment rate to marginally decline from January's 9.2 per cent.
Canada's national unemployment rate in February was 8.2 per cent, also a marginal decline from January's 8.3 per cent.
Nationally, about 21,000 jobs were created. Most of that growth occurred in the public sector. Analysts had predicted a gain of about 15,000 jobs.
Manufacturing, a mainstay of Ontario's economy, gained about 17,000 jobs nationwide.
An analyst with TD Economics said the job growth in the first two months of 2010 creates some cautious optimism for Ontario's economic recovery.
"Canada’s most wounded provincial job market (Ontario) still has ways to go, but would revisit its pre-recession employment level before year-end if the job creation pace recorded in January-February holds up," Pascal Gauthier wrote.
Ontario lost about 210,000 jobs in the recession and is till 151,600 jobs below its pre-recession peak. So far this year, Ontario has gained back 37,000 jobs. More than 30,000 came in January.
In comparison, Gauthier said B.C. and Quebec could be back to pre-recession employment levels by June.
Alberta's economic recovery is also lagging, he said.
