The country added 230,700 jobs in June, beating analyst expectations of 195,000, as public health restrictions were eased in several regions of the country, Statscan said. The unemployment rate was 7.8%, just short of expectations of 7.7%.
Retail trade fell 5.7% in April, the sharpest decline in a year, missing analyst forecasts of a 5.0% drop. In a preliminary estimate, Statscan said May retail sales likely fell by 3.2% as store closures dragged on.
Statscan also said March retail trade rose by 3.6% from February, thanks in part to higher sales at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast a 2.3% increase.
The Canadian dollar, which has been flirting with six-year highs against the US dollar, held onto earlier gains and was trading up 0.1% on the day at C$1.2040 to the greenback, or 83.06 US cents.
Analysts expect Canada's employment report on Friday to show the economy shed 175,000 jobs in April as restrictions were tightened in some provinces to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
