There’s disappointing news in the Newfoundland and Labrador construction labour market, with Statistics Canada data indicating that 2,200 fewer people are working in the non-residential construction sector in Newfoundland and Labrador than there were a year ago,
Overall, the unemployment rate in Newfoundland and Labrador climbed to 14.9 per cent from May to June, with the disappearance of 1,400 jobs and nearly 12,000 fewer people are working than in June 2016.
The province’s unemployment rate is well above the next highest — 10.2 per cent in Prince Edward Island — and more than double the national rate of 6.5 per cent.
Andrew Fields, an analyst with Statistics Canada, said in a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) report that the June increase in the unemployment rate may not be statistically significant but the year-over-year increase is.
He said the biggest loss of jobs over the past 12 months has been in the construction of non-residential buildings and in wholesale businesses.
