No New Jobs in Canada in February

Employment in Canada was mostly unchanged in February, but a decline in the number of people looking for work pushed the jobless rate down slightly to 7.4 percent, a government agency said Friday.

Analysts had predicted that 15,000 new jobs would be created in the month, while the unemployment rate would remain at the previous month's level of 7.6 percent.

But employment declined in retail and wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; health care and social assistance; and public administration, Statistics Canada announced.

Those declines were offset by increases in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing; educational services; and business, building and other support services, the agency said.

Regionally, only New Brunswick province in easternmost Canada saw a notable decline in jobs. Elsewhere job numbers were flat.

Across Canada employment among youths fell, while it increased among the elderly. For those aged 25 to 54, employment was unchanged.