OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says it made an error in formulating its July jobs numbers.
The federal agency says the source of the error has been identified and corrected, and updated July job estimates will be released on Friday.
A week ago, Statistics Canada reported that a measly 200 jobs had been created in July, a number that fell spectacularly short of expectations.
Economists had expected that the economy would bounce back from an unexpected decline of 9,400 jobs in June, and add as many as 20,000 new jobs the following month.
Instead, Statcan reported that the number of full-time jobs fell by 59,700 while part-time jobs increased by 60,000 — figures it now suggests were faulty.
Statistics Canada says it takes the error “very seriously” and is launching a review of its data verification methods. The results of the review will be published as soon as they’re available.
The news comes as Finance Minister Joe Oliver meets with guests at a two-day summer retreat in Wakefield, Que., over the next two days to discuss the Canadian economy, with job creation one of several items on the agenda.