The recent labour market in Canada and the United States

Employment in Canada continued to grow for most of 2008, although at a slower pace than in 2007, with losses in the final quarter of the year. Employment in the United States, however, showed pronounced monthly declines throughout 2008. Other major labour market indicators in Canada such as the employment rate, the unemployment rate and the participation rate all outperformed their U.S. counterparts, with Canada's weakness surfacing in manufacturing employment.