Canada added 18,000 jobs in June as unemployment rate fell to 6.5%

Canada added 18,000 jobs in June, helping push the national unemployment rate down slightly to 6.5%, according to Statistics Canada. The increase followed a strong gain in May and was led mainly by parttime work as well as jobs in accommodation and food services, wholesale and retail trade. The report also showed mixed signals across the labour market. Manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs, and economists said some of the recent hiring may be temporary. Even so, job growth was stronger for young workers and students, with the youth unemployment rate falling to 12.7% and the summer student job market improving from a year earlier. Wage growth for permanent employees rose 3.7% in June, up from 3.2% in May. Economists said the data are unlikely to change the Bank of Canada’s interest rate decision next week, but the report gives policymakers one of the last major readings on the economy before then.