Statistics Canada says economy added 41,000 jobs in April, unemployment rate 5.0%

Statistics Canada says the economy added 41,000 jobs last month, all in part-time work.

According to its latest labour force survey, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.0 per cent for the fifth consecutive month.

That’s just above the all-time low of 4.9 per cent reached last summer.

The job gains in April were led by the wholesale and retail trade industry, while the largest losses occurred in business, building and other support services.

With the labour market remaining relatively tight, average hourly wages were up 5.2 per cent compared with a year ago, growing faster than inflation.

The Bank of Canada has been warning that a tight labour market will make it more difficult to get inflation back to two per cent, as higher wages could put upward pressure on prices.