By Ovunc Kutlu
ISTANBUL (AA) - Canada added 64,000 jobs in September, crushing estimates of 20,000, according to official figures released Friday.
Employment rose by 0.3% in September, following an increase of 40,000, or 0.2%, in August, the country's statistical body Statistics Canada said in a statement.
The unemployment rate remained steady at 5.5% for the third consecutive month, while the market expectation for the figure was rising to 5.6%.
The employment rate, which is the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed, rose 0.1 percentage point to 62%, offsetting a decline in the previous month.
The participation rate, which is the proportion of the population that is employed, rose 0.6 percentage points to 92.4% in August -- the highest rate since August 1991.
Average hourly wages, annually, increased by 5% in September, after posting a 4.9% gain in July.