Saskatchewan was one of five provinces which contributed to a whopping increase in the number of employed in the country.  Ontario led the way along with Quebec, as well as Alberta.  Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan rounded out the provinces which saw an increase while most other provinces were little changed and Newfoundland and Labrador was the only province with fewer people employed.

Employment increased in Canada by 150,000 which is a 0.8 per cent increase for January and an unemployment rate which held steady at 5.0 per cent nationally.  Experts were forecasting that the increase in the Bank of Canada key rate which led to higher cost of borrowing would slow down the economy and impact employment levels.

Statistics Canada reported on Friday that following little change in November and December, employment in Saskatchewan increased by 4,500 in January which was a 0.8 per cent increase, however, the unemployment was little changed at 4.3 per cent.

Nationally, employment gains were driven primarily by people aged 25 to 54 , split evenly between women and men. Employment also increased among people aged 55 and older but little changed among youth aged 15 to 24.

The latest employment data from Statistics Canada also shows that on a year-over-year basis, employment for those who were not born in Canada and have never been a landed immigrant was up 13.3 per cent or  an increase of 79,000, nationally, in January, compared with growth in total employment of 2.8 per cent.  As of January, this group accounted for 3.4 per cent of total employment in the country.

Employment in Canada, according to StatsCan’s latest Labour Force Survey, rose in six industries led by wholesale and retail trade. There were also increases in health care and social assistance, educational services and the construction industry.