XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ont.politics   
   XPost: ab.politics, man.politics   
   From: damnthetorpedoes@duck.com   
      
   On Sat, 11 Jan 2014 17:33:14 +0000, Con??Con?    
   wrote:   
      
   >And the Harper Cons are 'strategizing' to run on their economic record.   
   >  Good luck on that, Steve . . . .   
   >_________________________________   
   >CBC News Posted: Jan 10, 2014   
   >   
   >Canada loses nearly 46,000 jobs in December   
   >Unemployment rate up 0.3 percentage points to 7.2%, dollar drops below   
   >92 cents US   
   >   
   >   
   >Canada lost 45,900 jobs in December, pushing the unemployment rate up   
   >0.3 percentage points to 7.2 per cent as more people looked for work.   
   >   
   >The monthly loss means Canada's economy only added 102,000 jobs for all   
   >of 2013, Statistics Canada said Friday.   
   >   
   >The poor showing surprised economists, a consensus of whom polled by   
   >Bloomberg were expecting a small gain of about 14,000 jobs during the month.   
   >   
   >"Not only was the headline contraction in December sizable, but the   
   >losses were broad-based across industries and exclusively seen in   
   >full-time positions," TD Bank economist Sonja Gulati wrote in a report   
   >following the news.   
   >   
   >Ontario lost 39,000 jobs during the month and even Alberta, a source of   
   >recent strength, shed 12,000 jobs.   
   >   
   >British Columbia added 13,000 jobs, and by sector, health care and   
   >social assistance was a strength, adding 22,000 jobs during the month.   
   >   
   >All in all, 60,000 full-time jobs were lost, a decline only partially   
   >offset by 14,000 new part-time jobs.   
   >   
   >The monthly drop in full-time work is the largest seen since late 2011.   
   >It's the worst showing for jobs overall since March 2013 when Canada   
   >lost 54,500 jobs.   
   >Sympathy from Flaherty   
   >   
   >Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the poor jobs showing is a   
   >"reminder" that the Canadian economy remains fragile.   
   >   
   >"We sympathize with those Canadians who lost their job last month. This   
   >is a reminder that the economic recovery remains fragile and we must   
   >stay focused on our plan to grow the economy and keep taxes low to   
   >create the environment where job creation can flourish," he said in a   
   >statement.   
   >   
   >"It’s also important to remember that monthly job numbers are volatile   
   >and our overall trend is positive. Indeed, for 2013 as a whole, Canada’s   
   >economy created more than 100,000 net new jobs," he said.   
   >   
   >NDP finance critic Peggy Nash said Flaherty's last budget killed more   
   >jobs than it created and the latest job numbers undermine the   
   >credibility of the Harper Conservatives when it comes to sound economic   
   >management.   
   >   
   >“Conservatives love to boast about their employment record, but the   
   >facts simply don’t back them up,” Nash said. “Job creation remains very   
   >weak and too many of the jobs being created are low-paying and part-time.”   
   >   
   >While she agreed Canada may have added 100,000 jobs in 2013, she pointed   
   >out that more thane 300,000 were created in 2012.   
   >   
   >Craig Wright, chief economist for RBC, said the job losses announced   
   >today wiped out most of the gains over the last four months.   
   >   
   >While he warned job numbers can be volatile and vulnerable to weather,   
   >he said the wide base of the job losses was a concern.   
   >Widespread job losses   
   >   
   >“More than half of the industries that they monitor were down. More than   
   >half the provinces experienced declines in the month. It was very   
   >broadly based and unfortunately focused on the full-time component,”   
   >Wright told CBC News.   
   >   
   >The dismal jobs data put pressure on the loonie, which was trading well   
   >below 91 cents U.S. Wright said it also raised the possibility of an   
   >interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada.   
   >   
   >“Maybe the bank won't go anytime soon, but the next move for the Bank of   
   >Canada could be down,” he said.   
   >   
   >Industry Minister James Moore, in Vancouver to make an announcement   
   >about a spectrum auction, said the federal government planned to stay   
   >the course on cutting spending, despite the increase in joblessness.   
   >   
   >“The overall picture for the Canadian economy is still strong. The job   
   >picture is still strong,” Moore said.   
   >   
   >He pointed to the impact of lower oil prices, which has cut jobs in the   
   >oil patch and urged the provinces to agree to Ottawa's Canada Job Grant   
   >training program.   
   >   
   >Benchmark U.S. oil for February delivery gained $1.06 to $92.72 US per   
   >barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange today, but is well down from   
   >the $110 range it traded at last year, meaning lower profits for oil   
   >companies.   
   >   
   >The drop in the overall number of jobs follows moves by several big   
   >companies to cut their workforces late last year.   
   >   
   >Smartphone maker BlackBerry announced last year that it would cut its   
   >workforce by 40 per cent or about 4,500 people and has been shedding   
   >jobs ever since.   
   >   
   >Retailer Sears Canada also announced several rounds of layoffs,  while   
   >Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan said in early December it would cut 1,045   
   >in Saskatchewan, as well as New Brunswick and Florida.   
   >   
   >There are further losses coming at Heinz in Leamington, Ont.   
   >____________________________   
   >Jobless rates across Canada   
   >   
   >http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/unemployment-stats/   
      
      
   Given that most of the losses are in Ontario, it looks like Ontario's   
   unelected premier continues on her campaign to drag Ontario further   
   into the hole.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)