(Adds details of release, background)
OTTAWA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Canada added a
greater-than-expected 22,800 jobs in December, in part making up
for heavy losses in the previous month, while the unemployment
rate stayed at 7.1 percent, Statistics Canada data indicated on
Friday.
Analysts polled by Reuters forecast a gain of 10,000 jobs.
The economy shed 35,700 positions in November.
In December, the economy created 29,200 part-time jobs and
lost 6,400 full-time positions. The hard-hit manufacturing and
natural resources sectors reported modest gains of 6,100 and
3,800 jobs respectively.
Employment increased by 16,500 in healthcare and social
assistance and by 15,400 in educational services, while dropping
by 14,400 in accommodation and food services.
For 2015 as a whole, employment gains totaled 158,100, or
0.9 percent, slightly above the 0.7 percent year-on-year growth
rate seen in both 2013 and 2014.
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Graphic - Canada jobs, unemployment http://link.reuters.com/fax39t
Graphic - Full-time vs. part-time http://link.reuters.com/pev29v
Graphic - Temporary vs. permanent http://link.reuters.com/xuf98v
Graphic - Canada economic dashboard http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/sc-canada/index.html
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