The national economy created 43,000 additional jobs in November but because more people entered the labour force last month the unemployment rate moved up 0.1 of a percentage point to 5.9 per cent.

The last time the jobless rate rose was in January, when it went to 6.2 per cent from 6.1 per cent in December 2006.

Still, Statistics Canada reports that the jobs created last month helped push the employment rate to another record high of 63.8 per cent of the labour force.

"We were expecting that 8,000 jobs would be created in Canada last month," BNN's Michael Kane said Friday of the unexpectedly high numbers.

In 2007, employment has so far increased by 2.3 per cent or by 388,000 jobs. In 2006, the increase over the same period was only 1.8 per cent.

In reaction to the strong job figures, the Canadian dollar jumped 0.40 of a cent to close at 99.49 cents US on Friday.

Employment growth last month was the result of a combination of full and part-time work with notable increases in B.C., Quebec, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, says the report.

Four industries saw employment increases in November:

  • transportation and warehousing (17,000 jobs added)
  • business, building and other support services(15,000 jobs added)
  • educational services (14,000 jobs added)
  • natural resources (6,000 jobs added)

Most of the above industries saw positions filled by men aged 25 to 54.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing industry continued to slump in November, losing 16,000 jobs. Since December 2006, factory employment losses have reached an estimated 98,000 jobs -- with most of the declines occurring in Quebec and Ontario.

Overall, Canada's employment rate was higher than the U.S. and most European countries in the second quarter of 2007, Statistics Canada reports.

Only Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden had higher rates of employment.

Here's the provincial unemployment rates breakdown (previous month in brackets):

  • Newfoundland 13.2 (13.5)
  • Prince Edward Island 11.2 (8.8)
  • Nova Scotia 8.0 (7.6)
  • New Brunswick 7.2 (7.6)
  • Quebec 7.0 (6.9)
  • Ontario 6.2 (6.0)
  • Manitoba 4.2 (4.0)
  • Saskatchewan 4.0 (4.3)
  • Alberta 3.6 (3.4)
  • British Columbia 4.2 (4.4)