Quebec's unemployment rate fell by 0.5 percentage points to 4.7% in December, while the number of workers rose slightly at the end of 2023.
According to Statistics Canada data released Friday, both full-time and part-time employment increased in La Belle Province, with corresponding increases of 0.1% and 0.6%, respectively, between November and December.
However, at the end of 2023, it can be seen that more Quebecers have found part-time work (+8.6%) than full-time work (-0.1%).
Nationally, employment remained flat in December, while the unemployment rate remained at 5.8% through the end of the year.
“There were 1.2 million people unemployed in December, an increase of 202,000 (+19.3%) compared to 12 months earlier,” Statistics Canada noted.
The number of people in employment rose particularly in the areas of professional, scientific and technical services (+46,000; +2.4%) and in health and social services (+16,000; +0.6%).
In contrast, the wholesale and retail trade (-21,000; -0.7%) and manufacturing (-18,000; -1%) sectors recorded a decline in the number of employees.
“Compared to last year, the average hourly wage increased by 5.4% in December (+$1.78 to $34.45),” the federal agency also stated.