OTTAWA, July 6 (Reuters) - Canada added 31,800 jobs in June, most of them part-time, while the unemployment rate rose to 6.0 percent from 5.8 percent as more people sought work, Statistics Canada said on Friday.
Analysts in a Reuters poll predicted a gain of 24,000 positions and said the jobless rate would remain unchanged.
The data are likely to boost expectations that the Bank of Canada will hike rates on July 11 for the fourth time in a year. The central bank's governor said last week the next move would be decided by economic data. jobs gain was driven by an increase of 22,700 in part-time positions, while full-time work rose by 9,100. Manufacturing employment grew by 10,900 jobs, the first advance this year.
The Bank of Canada also pays close attention to income growth. Average hourly wages in June rose by a healthy 3.5 percent from a year earlier.