Canada Unemployment Highest in 11 Years and US in 25 Years+

Canada's unemployment rate rose to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent in May as the country lost 41,800 jobs, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The jobless rate was up from eight per cent in April, when the country added about 36,000 jobs.

Economists had been looking for about 36,000 jobs to be lost in May.

Full-time employment dropped by 58,700 last month, bringing total full-time losses since October to 406,000.

Part-time employment rose by 17,000, continuing a trend since October 2008 that has seen 44,000 part-time workers added.

Statistics Canada said also said the summer student job market got off to a tough start in May, with the number of employed students in the 20-to-24 age range fell by 59,000 compared to a year earlier, all in full-time work.

May's unemployment rate was 18.3 per cent for this group of students, compared to 15.4 per cent in May 2008.

Unemployment rate by province 

Province    April 2009     May 2009

N.L.               14.7%             15.1%

P.E.I.              9.7%             10.4%

N.S.               9.2%             8.9%

N.B.               8.9%             8.8%

Que.              8.4%             8.7%

Ont.              8.7%              9.4%

Man.              4.6%             4.9%

Sask.             5.0%             4.9%

Alta.              6.0%             6.6%

B.C.               7.4%             7.6%

the jobless rate climbed to 9.4 percent, the highest in more than 25 years, the Labor Department reported Friday.