Canada sheds 82,600 jobs, unemployment up to 7.7 percent

OTTAWA: Canada lost 82,600 jobs in February, pushing its unemployment rate up half a point to 7.7 percent amid a worsening recession, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

The latest cuts bring Canada's total job losses since October to 295,000, the government agency said.

Ontario province led the way with 35,000 fewer jobs in February, and just over half of the country's total employment losses since October.

Men aged 25 to 54 were particularly hard hit by February's employment decline.

The construction industry, meanwhile, suffered a second big drop in employment in three months, as housing starts weakened. A decrease of 43,000 construction jobs accounted for more than half of the employment decline in February.

Professional, scientific and technical services; educational services; and natural resources sectors also posted job losses.

Canada's manufacturing and agriculture, however, added new jobs.