Canada’s economy added a modest 14,000 jobs in March, Statistics Canada said on Friday, after notching major job losses during the first two months of the year.

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.7 per cent, and there was little variation in the number of full- and part-time employees that month.

The same was true of the number of private and public sector workers, though the number of workers in the public sector has been growing at a faster rate on a yearly basis.

Employment was up in the natural resources industry and the “other services” industry, which includes sectors like personal and repair services. Jobs declined in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing.

Average hourly wages were up 4.7 per cent, or $1.68, for a total average hourly wage of $37.73.

The data agency’s previous Labour Force Survey from February showed a loss of 84,000 jobs, a result that was largely a surprise to economists and analysts.

More to come