Employment indexes, Canada and the United States

Employment trends are diverging between Canada and the United States

• Employment growth in Canada and in the United States has historically been similar. However, from 2001 to 2003, while there was very little employment growth in the United States (+0.6%), Canada enjoyed a 4.4% increase. Throughout 2001 and 2002, job losses in the United States were mainly in manufacturing; these in turn led to job losses in wholesale trade and transportation, as well as cutbacks in factories' use of temporary help services.
• A total of 2.9 million manufacturing jobs were lost in the United States from 2001 to 2003 (down 16%), many of which were in industrial machinery and equipment, electronic and electrical equipment, and transportation equipment. What helped stabilize employment in the United States was growth in service industries, particularly in health, government and educational services.
• Canadian manufacturing employment was up slightly from 2001 to 2003 (+0.9%), as strong gains in 2002 were partially offset by declines in 2001 and 2003. Almost 60% of Canada's employment growth from 2001 to 2003 was in health care and social assistance, trade, construction, and educational services.

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