Construction employment falls by 12,000 in July, but remains up year-over-year

OTTAWA—The number of construction jobs coast to coast declined in July even as employment in the overall Canadian economy ticked up.

According to Statistics Canada, employment in the construction industry dipped by 12,000, or about 0.8 per cent, over the course of the month.

Despite the decline, the seasonally adjusted figure for construction remains 35,000 jobs higher, or up 2.5 per cent, from a year earlier. The sector totalled 1.435 million workers in July.

Across all industries, the Canadian economy added 54,000 jobs last month, helped by gains in part-time work. The unemployment rate also dropped 0.2 per cent, falling to 5.8 per cent. About a quarter million more Canadians are at work compared to July 2017.