Canadian employers added 43,300 net new employees to their work forces in the month of February, just under the 46,400 that were added in January and well above last year’s monthly average of 31,000. February job creation overwhelmed economist expectations of only 3,000 net new jobs in the month.

This strong jobs performance brought Canada’s employment rate to a record high of 63.9 per cent and maintained the country’s 33-year low unemployment rate of 5.9 per cent.

Employment gains last month were due entirely to an increase in full-time jobs, many of which in the construction sector, along with public administration and professional, scientific and technical services.

With strong job growth and low unemployment, Canadian businesses are increasingly focusing on foreign workers to help fill regional labour shortages. Currently, there are thousands of available jobs in Canada.