The loss of 137,000 part-time positions was led by Ontario, which hiked its minimum wage by 20 per cent on Jan. 1. Statistics Canada reported record part-time job losses in January that gave Canada’s labour market its biggest one-month drop since the last recession in 2009 — after which stock markets began their bull run. Dismal Canadian job numbers Friday capped off a week of rough financial news, including jaw-dropping volatility on stock markets in Canada and around the globe. However, economists also pointed to possible connections between Ontario’s minimum wage and Canada’s stronger average wage growth of 3.3 per cent in January. “One of the positives in today’s release was the fact that wage growth picked up,” said Craig Alexander, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada.

Source: thestar February 10, 2018 01:30 UTC