The Good News and the Very Good News in Today's Job Report

As with every first Friday of the month, StatsCan released their Labour Force Survey today. As the headlines across Canada's news outlets scream about the net loss of jobs, they fail to recognize the good news in today's survey - and almost altogether ignore that the good news outweighs the bad.

Granted Canada did not add as many jobs as experts anticipated. We did however add a substantial 91,000 new full time jobs but this number is almost exactly offset by the 92,000 part time job losses. Factoring in some common sense, this means Canadians who were making it by on less than 30 hours a week are now working full time jobs. The study assures us that Canadians are working more hours and isn't this the goal in the first place?

Further good news comes as no surprise to us at CMS. Of the two leading industries for growth, the construction sector added 24,000 new full time jobs. We've seen this construction growth on our job board and have been talking about it on our blog.

If you'd like to be kept in the loop as we add more positions, or kept informed on news pertaining to recruitment & hiring please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Here is the study in full from StatsCan;

March 2011 (Previous release)

Overall employment was unchanged in March, as gains in full-time work were offset by declines in part time. The unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to 7.7%. Over the past 12 months, employment has risen by 1.8% (+305,000).

Full-time employment rose by 91,000 in March, and was offset by a decline of 92,000 in part time. This large full-time increase brought gains in full-time employment to 251,000 (+1.8%) over the past 12 months, while part time increased by 54,000 (+1.7%).

There were employment gains in accommodation and food services as well as construction in March, and losses in health care and social assistance and in public administration.

The number of public sector employees fell in March. Compared with 12 months earlier, public sector growth (+2.4%) was slightly faster than that of private sector employees (+2.1%), while self-employment was unchanged.

In March, employment declined in Quebec and increased in Prince Edward Island. There were no notable changes in overall employment in the other provinces.

Note to readers

Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates are based on a sample, and are therefore subject to sampling variability. Estimates for smaller geographic areas or industries will have more variability. For an explanation of sampling variability of estimates, and how to use standard errors to assess this variability, consult the "Data quality" section of the publication Labour Force Information (71-001-X, free).

Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data, which facilitates comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations.

Employment increased for men aged 25 and over, while it declined among youths aged 15 to 24 and women 55 and over.

Gains in accommodation and food services as well as construction

The number of workers in accommodation and food services increased by 36,000 in March. This gain brought employment in this industry to roughly the same level as 12 months earlier.

Employment in construction rose by 24,000 in March, continuing an upward trend that began in July 2009. Over the past 12 months, employment in this industry has increased by 5.3% (+64,000), one of the highest rates of growth among all industries.

There were small losses in health care and social assistance (-17,000) and in public administration (-13,000). Over the past 12 months, employment in these industries increased by 2.9% and 2.1% respectively.

Little employment change across provinces

Employment in Quebec edged down 15,000 in March, and the unemployment rate held steady at 7.7%. Over the past 12 months, employment growth in the province was 1.6% (+62,000).

In March, employment in Prince Edward Island increased by 1,400 and the unemployment rate was 11.2%. This increase brought employment just above levels of one year earlier.

In Ontario, total employment was little changed, as full-time gains of 63,000 were offset by part-time losses of 58,000. The unemployment rate was 8.1%. Over the past 12 months, employment grew by 2.1% in this province.

While there was little change in employment in British Columbia, the unemployment rate fell from 8.8% to 8.1% as fewer people looked for work.

Gains among adult men offset by losses among youths, women 55 and over

Employment for men aged 25 and over was up 32,000 in March, with increases in full time. The gains were shared between men 25 to 54 and 55 and over. Employment growth over the past 12 months among core-age men was 2.1%, while that of men 55 and over was 4.9%.

Employment in March was unchanged for core-age women and fell by 17,000 for women aged 55 and over. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was unchanged for core-age women, while it increased by 6.6% for women 55 and over.

The number of employed 15- to 24- year-olds fell by 17,000 in March, with notable losses in part-time work. The unemployment rate was little changed at 14.4%. Compared with 12 months earlier, youth employment increased by 0.5%.

Quarterly update for the territories

The Labour Force Survey also collects labour market data about the territories. These data are produced monthly in the form of three-month moving averages. The territorial estimates presented in this release are not seasonally adjusted; therefore, comparisons are made on a year-over-year basis.

All three territories saw employment gains in the first quarter of 2011 compared with the same quarter of 2010.

In Yukon, employment increased by 2,500 in the three months ending in March 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. In the first quarter of 2011, the unemployment rate was 5.1%.

Employment in the Northwest Territories rose by 1,700 from the first quarter of 2010 to the same period in 2011, pushing the unemployment rate down to 6.3%.

In Nunavut, employment increased by 500 in the first quarter of 2011 compared with the first quarter of 2010. However, the number of people searching for work also increased, bringing the unemployment rate up to 17.3%.

Available on CANSIM: tables 282-0001 to 282-0042, 282-0047 to 282-0063, 282-0069 to 282-0095 and 282-0100 to 282-0121.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3701.

A more detailed summary, Labour Force Information (71-001-X, free), is now available online for the week ending March 19. From the Key resource module of our website under Publications, choose All subjects, then Labour. LAN and bulk prices are available on request. The DVD-ROM Labour Force Historical Review, 2010 (71F0004X, $209), will be available on April 11. See How to order products.

Data tables are also now available online. From the Subject module of our website, choose Labour.

The next release of the Labour Force Survey will be on May 6.

For general information or to order data, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-873-8788; 613-951-4090; labour@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jason Gilmore (613-951-7118; jason.gilmore@statcan.gc.ca) or Vincent Ferrao (613-951-4750; vincent.ferrao@statcan.gc.ca), Labour Statistics Division.

New Jobs With CMS - Senior Estimator for the Heavy Civil Sector

As we've mentioned previously, the construction sector is a sure sign of economic growth and we're proud to be working on new construction projects. Our client is looking for a Senior Estimator. Based in Ontario, this is great opportunity for a future-oriented estimator to find a company with whom they can make a mark.

If you'd like to apply for any of these jobs, please get in touch with us or click here to send us a resume.

If you'd like to be kept in the loop as we add more positions, , please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Reuters released their preview for StatsCan's March Employment Report

This Friday, Statistics Canada will release the Employment Report for the month of March and Canada is waiting for it with optimism. February's report, while showing growth wasn't as strong as some hoped, but March should bring us back to the strong growth we've seen over the past 12 months.

Reuters has released their forecast for the report, indicating they see Canada creating 26,000 new jobs in March and possibly lowering the unemployment rate to 7.7%.

They go on to say that Canada has created an average of roughly 40,000 new jobs every month for the past 5 months.

They also note the impact this report will have on the federal election, considering the importance of unemployment to any political platform.

The article can be viewed in full here or enclosed in this article.

PREVIEW-UPDATE 1-Canada seen creating 26,500 jobs in March

 WHAT: Canadian March employment report

 WHEN: Friday, April 8 at 7 a.m. (1100 GMT)

 REUTERS FORECAST (preliminary):

 ECONCA                    

                    March      F'cast range    Feb

 Jobs gain/loss     +26.5K    +11.4K to +40K  +15.1K

 Unemployment rate  7.7 pct    7.6 to 7.8 pct  7.8 pct

 FACTORS TO WATCH:

 Trend: The report will show whether job growth remained
lackluster for the second straight month or if there has been a
return to the more frenetic hiring pace of December and
January. The Canadian economy has created an average of 40,000
jobs per month for the past five months. But February's tepid
gain disappointed after two strong months, so markets will be
watching to see if the lull was temporary.

 During the economic recovery Canada has generally regained
lost jobs faster than the United States, but that trend may be
reversing as the neighboring economy outperformed Canada in
February and posted a second straight month of solid gains in
March. [ID:nNOAT00477]

 Growth: Economic growth picked up speed in the fourth
quarter of last year and early data show that momentum spilling
over into the first quarter of 2011, which should foster job
growth. [ID:nN31223177]

 Political fallout: Unemployment is a big theme in the
federal election campaign now in full swing ahead of a May 2
vote, especially in the hard-hit manufacturing belt in southern
Ontario, where the jobless rate was above the national average
in February at 8.0 percent.

 Wages: Annual wage inflation for permanent employees was
2.5 percent in February, up from 2.3 percent in January,
according to Statistics Canada's flagship employment survey.

 In a separate business census of non-farm payroll
employees, Statscan estimated a 4.2 percent advance in weekly
earnings in January from a year earlier.

 MARKET IMPACT

 The employment report is the last data point available to
the Bank of Canada ahead of its April 12 interest rate
announcement. While market players have effectively ruled out
the chances of a rate hike this month, strong job numbers could
convince investors to pull forward their forecasts on the
timing of the next rate hike.

 The Canadian dollar would likely get a boost from an upbeat
report, or slip from recent highs if the numbers disappoint.

 Canada's primary securities dealers, surveyed March 18,
were largely split between May 31 and July 19 as the date of
the central bank's next move, with one of the 11 betting on
April 12. [CA/POLL]

 Overnight index swaps, which trade based on expectations
for the key central bank rate, imply a fully priced-in rate
increase on the bank's Sept. 7 decision date. BOCWATCH
(Reporting by Louise Egan; editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

New Jobs With CMS Management

The construction sector has always been a clear indicator to who the economy is doing and this is why we're pleased to announce new construction jobs. CMS has been tasked with new Project Management roles in Edmonton and Calgary.

If you'd like to apply for any of these jobs, please get in touch with us or click here to send us a resume.

If you'd like to be kept in the loop as we add more positions, , please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Further proof that Canada's beating the recession - another drop in EI claims.

The EI Offices across Canada aren't nearly as busy as they were in the past few years. Proof of this can be found in StatsCan's newest study on EI claims which was released today. The study shows a whopping decrease of 13,300 recipients, or 2% of the overall claimants. This is Canada's 6th decline in 7 months, leaving the current number of recipients at 640,200.

Leading the pack in decreases was Ontario, shedding 11,200 beneficiaries (2.4%), followed by British Columbia at 1,900, Quebec lost 1,500 and Alberta lost 1,400.

Simply put, this means more people are working and it is becoming more & more difficult for employers to find that perfect employee. More & more employers are realizing that their ideal candidate isn't reading the newspaper's classifieds or looking at online job posting sites. We're seeing evidence of this through the dramatic increase of job postings on our site.

If you'd like to discuss how CMS can help you find that elusive employee, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Here's the study in full from Statistics Canada.

Employment Insurance

January 2011 (Previous release)

The number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits declined by 13,300 (-2.0%) in January to 640,200, the sixth decline in seven months. The number of beneficiaries decreased in seven provinces, with the fastest decline in Ontario.

Fewer Employment Insurance claims

To receive EI benefits, individuals must first submit a claim. There were 242,400 initial and renewal claims received in January, down 4,900 (-2.0%) from December. With this decline, the number of claims was similar to levels observed last June.

Note to readers

All data in this release are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.

Each month, Statistics Canada provides analysis of the current labour market situation, using Employment Insurance (EI) statistics and other sources. Earlier this month, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) provided a picture of overall labour market conditions, including unemployment, total employment and those affected by changes in the labour market.

In this release, Statistics Canada provides additional sub-provincial detail through the EI statistics. Details by industry will follow with data from the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours.

EI statistics are produced from an administrative data source from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. These statistics may, from time to time, be affected by changes to the Employment Insurance Act or administrative procedures. The number of regular beneficiaries and the number of claims received for December 2010 and January 2011 are preliminary. In this release, large centres correspond to those with a population of 10,000 or more.

The number of beneficiaries is a measure of all persons who received EI benefits from January 9 to 15. This period coincides with the reference week of the LFS.

EI statistics indicate the number of people who received EI benefits, and should not be confused with data coming from the LFS, which provides information on the total number of unemployed people.

There are always a certain proportion of unemployed people who do not qualify for benefits. Some unemployed people have not contributed to the program because they have not worked in the past 12 months or their employment is not insured. Other unemployed people have contributed to the program but do not meet the eligibility criteria, such as workers who left their job voluntarily or those who did not accumulate enough hours of work to receive benefits.

The change in the number of regular EI beneficiaries reflects various situations, including people becoming beneficiaries, people going back to work, and people exhausting their regular benefits.

The situation across Canada varied. Ontario experienced the largest decline (-8,400), followed by Quebec (-1,600) and Alberta (-500). Claims increased in all other provinces and territories, most notably in New Brunswick (+1,100).

Claims provide an indication of the number of people who could become beneficiaries.

Largest declines in beneficiaries in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta

All provinces except those in Atlantic Canada recorded a fourth consecutive monthly decline in the number of beneficiaries in January.

In Ontario, the number of regular beneficiaries fell by 11,200 (-5.5%) to 192,600, and was the largest of four consecutive monthly declines in the province.

In British Columbia, the number of beneficiaries fell by 1,900 (-2.4%) in January to 76,100, while it declined by 1,500 (-0.8%) to 184,000 in Quebec. In Alberta, the number declined by 1,400 (-3.0%) to 44,800.

In New Brunswick, the only province with a notable increase in January, the number of beneficiaries rose by 840 (+2.5%) to 34,300.

Sub-provincial and demographic overview

Employment Insurance data by sub-provincial region, sex and age are not seasonally adjusted and are therefore compared on a year-over-year basis.

Year-over-year declines in most large centres continued

Between January 2010 and January 2011, the number of regular beneficiaries fell by 98,900 (-11.3%) at the national level, with decreases in 122 of the 143 large centres (see map). The number of large centres reporting year-over-year declines has been relatively stable over the past 10 months. Large centres are those with a population of 10,000 or more.

The five large centres in Newfoundland and Labrador all had fewer EI beneficiaries in January. The fastest decrease occurred in St. John's, where the number fell by 710 to 5,700. This was the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year declines.

The number of regular beneficiaries fell in 29 of the 33 large centres in Quebec between January 2010 and January 2011. The fastest declines occurred in Saint-Georges, Granby, Dolbeau-Mistassini and Rouyn-Noranda. Montréal recorded 7,800 fewer beneficiaries, the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year declines. In the census metropolitan area of Québec, the number of beneficiaries declined by 430, the first decrease in eight months.

In Ontario, 36 of its 41 large centres posted declines between January 2010 and January 2011. The most notable declines were in Greater Sudbury, Windsor, Tillsonburg, Leamington and Belleville. In Toronto, 80,400 people received benefits in January, down 19,500 from 12 months earlier. This was the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year declines.

In Alberta, all 12 large centres had fewer regular beneficiaries. The pace of decline was fastest in Brooks, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Camrose and Medicine Hat. In Calgary, the number of beneficiaries fell by 6,200 to 14,600, the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year declines. In Edmonton, the number of beneficiaries decreased by 3,200 to 15,300, also the 10th consecutive decline.

In British Columbia, the number of beneficiaries fell in 21 of 25 large centres in the 12 months to January. The fastest declines were in Fort St. John, Williams Lake, Prince Rupert and Prince George. In Victoria, the number of beneficiaries declined year over year for the 10th consecutive month, down 370 to 4,400. In Vancouver, those receiving benefits fell by 3,800 to 34,800, the eighth decline in a row.

Demographic groups

Faster year-over-year decline for men than women

Between January 2010 and January 2011, the number of male EI regular beneficiaries fell by 79,000 (-13.4%) to 512,500. This was the 11th consecutive month with a year-over-year decline.

For men, the fastest rates of decline occurred among those aged under 25 years (-15.9%) and 25 to 54 (-15.7%). Over the same period, the number of beneficiaries decreased by 3.2% among men aged 55 and over.

The rate of decline was slower among female beneficiaries. The number of women receiving regular benefits decreased by 19,900 (-6.9%) to 267,200. This was the eighth consecutive month of year-over-year declines.

For women aged under 25 years, the number of beneficiaries decreased by 3,400 (-14.9%), while among those aged 25 to 54, it decreased by 18,700 (-8.9%). In contrast, the number of female beneficiaries aged 55 and over rose by 2,200 (+4.1%).

Available on CANSIM: tables 276-0001 to 276-0006, 276-0009, 276-0011, 276-0015 and 276-0016.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2604.

Data tables are also now available online. From the Key resource module of our website under Summary tables, choose Subject then Labour.

Data on Employment Insurance for February will be released on April 18.

A set of maps, Employment Insurance Statistics Maps, January 2011 (73-002-X, free), is now available online. The maps show percent changes in the number of people receiving regular EI benefits for all census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations in Canada. From the Key resource module of our website, under Publications, choose All subjects, then Labour.

For more information, or to order data, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-873-8788; 613-951-4090; labour@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Kevin Forneris (613-951-8235) or Vincent Ferrao (613-951-4750), Labour Statistics Division.

Where Are All of the Insurance Jobs in Canada? CMS Has Them!

We've recently undertaken a few new recruitment projects across Canada, filling adjuster's roles throughout Atlantic Canada as well as Western Canada.

Our Atlantic Canadian jobs include positions in Edmunston, NB, St. John, NB, Halifax, NS, St. John’s, NL and Clarenville, NF.

We're also filling several roles in Calgary for both BI adjusters and Property adjusters.

Are you interested in taking your career to new heights? If so, maybe you should get in touch with us and see if any of these opportunities are the right fit for you. Alternately, if you're interested in further recruitment and employment related articles, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

How Engaged Are Your Employees? It's Up To Your Management

A new study released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the UK reveals that employees take their queues to 'go the extra mile' from their management.

Obvious factors from management, such as feedback, praise and guidance were all elements that affect employee engagement - but the study went on to reveal that autonomy and empowerment from management also go a long way and the level of interest the manager shows in an employee.

This is a huge area for management to consider, given this article published by the Edmonton Journal which points to the Edmonton Research firm Psychometrics Canada where of 368 executives polled, nearly 70% found the level of employee engagement to be problematic. The study by Psychometrics can be read in full at this link.

Employers, you should look to CMS Management Consulting Services is in order to assess the level of engagement at work and what can be done to optimize it. In the mean time, here is an article regarding the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's study.

The extent to which managers provide guidance, feedback and the appropriate level of autonomy for staff is key to whether employees go the extra mile for their organization, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in the United Kingdom.

"The central role of managers in boosting individual and organizational performance is well recognized…” said Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser at CIPD. “But managers need more specific, tried-and-tested guidance on what they can do on a day-to-day basis to fulfill this key role well.”

The research asked employees what management behaviours supported them in focusing on what they do; feeling good about themselves in their role; and acting in a way that demonstrates commitment to their organization’s values and objectives.

The most frequently mentioned management competencies for supporting employee engagement were:
•reviewing and guiding
•feedback, praise and recognition
•autonomy and empowerment
•level of interest the manager shows in employees as individuals

"In today's tough economic environment, how managers manage is even more important in supporting employee commitment and motivation in the face of job cuts, pay freezes and cuts to training and development budgets," said Willmott.