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OTTAWA Statistics Canadas Labour Force Survey for July 2004 left many with the mid-summer chills as the economy generated fewer jobs than expected. While the unemployment rate edged down to 7.2%, it was achieved through the replacement of full-time work with part-time jobs and a drop in the number of people actively seeking work.

Canadian Labour Congress President Ken Georgetti continued to call for a national debate on a made-in-Canada employment strategy.

Good jobs, the kind of sustainable work people can count on to raise a family, support their community and enjoy a decent quality of life, dont just grow out of the economy. They need to be cultivated and it is up to government to see that this happens, says Georgetti.

At the same time the encouragement found in last months youth employment numbers was dashed with the reported loss of 29,000 full time jobs. Proof, says Georgetti, that without an employment strategy and a pro-active national training policy, Canada may fail to secure a high standard of living for its next generation. The unemployment numbers Statistics Canada reports that, last month, in July 2004, the unemployment rate edged down to 7.2% from 7.3% in June largely due to a decrease in the number of job seekers and despite the net creation of only 9 000 new (and part-time) jobs. The number of Canadians who want to work but do not have a job stood at 1,235,500.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 137 district labour councils.

Web site:www.clc-ctc.ca

Contact: Jeff Atkinson, 613-526-7425 and 613-863-1413 communications@clc-ctc.ca