UPDATE - Canada adds 22,000 jobs in August, unemployment rises to 6.6%

UPDATES WITH MORE FIGURES

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Canada's employment increased by 22,000 in August, or 0.1% from the previous month, according to official figures released Friday by Statistics Canada.

The market expectation for the figure was an addition of 23,700 after the North American economy lost 2,800 jobs in July.

The unemployment rate, however, rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.6% in August, from 6.4% in July, and came higher than market expectations of 6.5%.

The employment rate, meanwhile, fell 0.1 percentage point to 60.8% in August, from 60.9% in July.

Employment increased the most in educational services with a gain of 27,000, followed by health care and social assistance with an increase of 25,000.

Annually, average hourly wages among employees increased 5% in August, compared to the same month of last year, following a year-on-year growth of 5.2% in July, according to Statistics Canada.

"The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 60.8% in August, the fourth consecutive monthly decline and the 10th decline in the past 11 months," it said in a statement.

"On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate was down 1.2 percentage points in August," it added.

Private sector employees increased by 38,000, or 0.3% in August, marking the first monthly gain since April.

Public sector employment, on the other hand, changed little in August, compared to the previous month, said Statistics Canada.