Statistics Canada numbers showed 3,400 more people working in March than in February, but that was negated by the labour force growing by 3,800 people, approximately the same rate.
However, the national capital region has seen an overall gain in jobs since the beginning of 2012, with 16,400 more jobs created – an increase of 2.4 per cent.
An expected decline in public administration jobs, which includes jobs in the federal government, is beginning to take hold. From 175,000 jobs last year, March saw just 165,800 positions, a decline of 5.3 per cent.
Manufacturing also saw a slide to 22,500 positions, from 26,100 a year ago.
The major gain locally was in professional, scientific and technical services, which saw a bump of 24 per cent to 73,500 positions, up from 59,300 last year.
Smaller increases were seen in business, building and other support services, educational services, health care and social assistance, information, culture and recreation, and accommodation and food services.
Nationally, Statistics Canada says the economy began creating jobs again last month – and in a big way – with over 82,000 workers joining the labour force.
The outsized gain, almost all full-time, dropped the unemployment rate two notches to 7.2 per cent.
Canada has not had a month of significant job gains since September, but that performance was largely due to make-up from summer losses in the education field.
March's increases were concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, but were broadly spread among industries with significant pick-ups in health care and social assistance, information, culture and recreation, public administration, and natural resources.
Even manufacturing and construction, two industries that have suffered recent set-backs, added a modest amount of workers in March.
Another welcome change from recent trends was that employment for young workers, those in the 15-to-24 age category, rose sharply by about 39,000.
Last month's addition brings total net job creation to almost 200,000 over the past 12 months.
- With reports by The Canadian Press
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