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48,100 public sector jobs eviscerated in one year

Ontario unemployment increased last month from 7.4% to 7.8%.  While employment grew in Canada as a whole, it fell slightly in Ontario, decreasing from 6.788 million jobs to 6.781 million jobs.

Across Canada, there was a sharp decline in the number of public sector workers, with a loss of 19,200 public sector jobs in one month. In Ontario, the declines were in both the public and private sectors, with 1,100 job losses in the public sector and 9,300 in the private sector (there were modest gains in 'self-employment' reducing the total loss).  Notably, however, while there has been growth in private sector jobs over the last year in Ontario, there  has seen a steep decline in the Ontario public sector, with 48,100 public sector job losses in one year.

That means there has been a loss of 3.5% of all public sector jobs in Ontario in one year.  In fact April 2011 was the all-time high for public sector employment in Ontario.  Before that there were some increases in public sector employment, with a total of 65,700 jobs gained between April 2008 and April 2011, roughly comparable with population growth.

Government austerity has led to deepening economic problems in Europe.  Ontario is "leading" the way with austerity in Canada. So far, the economic results for working people are unimpressive, with high unemployment, declining real wages, and declining public services.  On the other hand, corporate profits have been up sharply in Ontario...


Ontario
March 2012
April 2012
March to
Apr 2012
April 2011 to
April 2012
March to
April 2012
% change
April 2011
to April 2012
% change
Population
11,027.1
11,041.9
14.8
147.1
0.1
1.4
Labour force
7,329.6
7,354.8
25.2
33.3
0.3
0.5
Employment
6,788.2
6,780.5
-7.7
37.5
-0.1
0.6
Full-time
5,484.2
5,507.3
23.1
43.5
0.4
0.8
Part-time
1,304.0
1,273.2
-30.8
-6.0
-2.4
-0.5
Unemployment
541.5
574.3
32.8
-4.2
6.1
-0.7
Participation rate
66.5
66.6
0.1
-0.6
...
...
Unemployment rate
7.4
7.8
0.4
-0.1
...
...
Employment rate
61.6
61.4
-0.2
-0.5
...
...



Ontario
2011
2012
2012
2012
April
February
March
April
Public sector employees
1,362.0
1,319.8
1,315.0
1,313.9
Private sector employees
4,351.0
4,380.0
4,434.1
4,424.8







Note: Numbers are reported in the thousands.


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