OTTAWA (CP) -- Total non-farm payroll employment fell by 64,000 in May, down 0.4 per cent from April and bringing total losses to 423,900 since last October.
Statistics Canada reports the proportion of industries suffering job losses edged down in May to 63 per cent, or 192 of 305 industries covered by the survey.
The highest proportion of industries shedding jobs during this current economic downturn was 75 per cent in January.
Payroll employment fell in both the goods and service sectors in May, with the largest declines in motor vehicle manufacturing; elementary and secondary education; motor vehicle parts manufacturing, and full-service restaurants.
Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia were hit hardest in May, with Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia also suffering declines in payroll employment.
The number of employees rose in Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.
The average weekly earnings of payroll employees, including overtime, was $820.38 in May, up 1.6 per cent from a year earlier.
Average weekly earnings posted year-over-year increases in nine of the 10 provinces, with Quebec down 0.8 per cent.
