Canada added 32,300 jobs in March from February for a total of more than 18.6 million jobs, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by Statistics Canada. A gain of 68,300 full-time jobs in March offset a loss of 35,900 part-time jobs.

In the first quarter of 2018, employment edged down by 40,000 due to a decrease in January. Over the longer term, employment has been on an upward trend since the second half of 2016, according to Statistics Canada.

In March, more people worked in construction, public administration and agriculture. The number of public sector employees edged up, while the number of private sector employees and self-employed held steady.

The unemployment rate remained at 5.8% in March, unchanged from February.

Employment increased in Quebec and Saskatchewan. There was little change in the other provinces.

Employment in Ontario edged up by 10,600 in March when compared to the previous month; full-time jobs rose by 16,300 while part-time jobs fell by 5,700. Ontario’s unemployment rate remained at 5.5%.