PEI’s unemployment rate rose to 8.6% in June

Statistics Canada says the country’s jobless rate fell slightly to 6.9 per cent in June. This was driven by a surprise surge in hiring for the month, with 83-thousand jobs added to the economy in mostly part-time work.   Economists had largely expected no gains for the month and forecast the jobless rate would rise to 7.1 per cent.  Employment in PEI grew by 200 jobs in June, while the province’s unemployment rate rose to 8.6 percent last month from May’s 8.2 percent.