Mr. Speaker, the newly released employment figures for February reaffirm that the government's policies are contributing to job creation.
Full time employment rose by 84,000 in February. Unemployment fell by an estimated 38,000, dropping the unemployment rate to 8.6%. What is especially significant is that nearly half of February's employment increase went to youths 15 to 24 years of age. Two-thirds of this gain was in full time work. This employment increase among youth led to a decline of 23,000 in the unemployment ranks.
The help wanted index now stands at its highest level since November 1990. As employer hiring intentions are at record levels for the 1990s, there is no doubt the government is on the right track with respect to job creation and employment for Canadians.