OTTAWA - Non-farm payroll employment rose for the third straight month in April, increasing by 35,600.
Statistics Canada reports that gains since the start of the upward trend last August have reached 166,900, or 1.2 per cent.
The agency says April's increases were widespread among services industries, with the largest gains in retail and wholesale trade; amusement, gambling and recreation; professional, scientific and technical services and administrative and support services.
There were also gains in the goods sector in April, as the number of jobs continued to grow in construction and in mining, quarrying and oil-and-gas extraction.
Average weekly earnings, including overtime, of non-farm payroll employees was $845.25, up 3.3 per cent from April 2009.
Year-over-year average weekly earnings rose in every province.
Employment rose by 11,400 jobs in retail and wholesale trade in April, the largest increase in over two years.
Payroll employment increased by 5,200 in other amusement and recreational services in April, specifically in golf-course facilities -- a month earlier than usual.
In professional, scientific and technical services, payroll jobs increased by 3,400, bringing growth in this industry to 15,100 (or 2.1 per cent) since last August.
There was also a gain of 3,100 in administrative and support services employment in April, particularly in services in buildings and dwellings; office administrative services and employment services.
April's gains in the services sector were partly offset by declines in investigation and security services; warehousing and storage; and food services and drinking places.
Construction employment increased by 5,400, while mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction added 2,600 payroll jobs.
Payroll employment in manufacturing declined by 8,600 after four straight months of increases. Losses were concentrated in transportation equipment; paper; and chemical manufacturing.
