Employment in construction dropped by 7,900 jobs, or about 0.5 percent, in February.

The latest Labour Force Survey issued by Statistics Canada on March 6 shows very little change in employment across the country. Employment grew by about 30,000 jobs overall, or about 0.2 percent, while the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 5.6 percent.

Compared with 12 months earlier, employment rose by 245,000 (+1.3 percent).

Construction’s moderate loss in February comes on the heels of three straight months in which employment increased. National employment in construction is now just shy of 1.5 million people, and is 50,000 positions ahead of the same period last year.

On a province-by-province basis, Quebec recorded the country’s largest gain in employment (+20,000). Most of the employment gains in February were among youth aged 15 to 24. Compared with February 2019, total employment in Quebec rose by 66,000 (+1.5 percent).

Employment in Ontario grew by 3,200, including an increase of 14,800 in the manufacturing sector. Since June 2018, employment in Ontario has risen by over 300,000.

The provincial government recently launched a Regional Development Program to support business growth in eastern and southwestern Ontario. The program helps eligible small- and medium-sized businesses invest in new equipment and training to expand operations.

According to Stokes Economics, eastern and southwestern Ontario accounted for over $184 billion or more than 23 percent of Ontario's economy in 2018.