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June 01, 2018US EMPLOYMENT, MAY 2018 The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports today that US non-farm payroll employment increased by 223,000 in May, following a revised gain of 155,000 jobs in April. For May, employment growth was faster than the pace set over the last year.
In May, employment gains were seen mainly in retail (+31,000), health care (+29,000), construction (+25,000), professional and technical services (+23,000), transportation/warehousing (+19,000), and manufacturing (+18,000). There were no substantial changes to employment in other major sectors: wholesale trade, information, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and government.
The US unemployment rate fell to 3.8 per cent in May with employment gains occurring with little change in the labour force.
Canada's unemployment rate has also been falling below pre-recession levels. Canada's unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.8 per cent in April, while Nova Scotia's declined to 6.7per cent.
The US participation rate fell to 62.7 per cent in May as the labour force was mostly unchanged with a rising population. Unlike unemployment rates, the US participation rate has failed to return to pre-recession levels and has only increased modestly since bottoming out in 2015.
Participation rates in Canada and Nova Scotia also declined in the years after the global financial crises, but have been more stable over the past year.
The US employment to population ratio remained edged up to 60.4 per cent in May.
Employment rates in Canada have been trending up since mid-2016, but are still below levels observed in 2008. With an aging population and declining labour supply, Nova Scotia's employment rates have trended down since 2012, there has been some recovery in recent months.
Note: Canadian and US labour force statistics refer to different working-age cohorts.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Statistics Canada CANSIM table 282-0087
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