The agency said the trend in payroll employment has been flat since June, suggesting a shift from the job cuts that marked the first eight months of the recession.
In October, only 44.3 per cent of all industries added to their payrolls.
However, gains in education, health care and social assistance, as well as construction, were sufficiently large to offset declines elsewhere.
October's increase was mainly the result of an additional 20,000 jobs in educational services and 14,600 in health care and social assistance, as well as smaller gains in construction and banking.
Since June, payroll employment has edged up by an average of about 4,200 jobs a month nationally, a big shift from the average monthly loss of 51,200 jobs recorded in the eight months that followed October 2008.
Average weekly earnings, including overtime, of payroll employees was $831.17 in October, up 1.6 per cent from October 2008.
In the months before the labour market contraction began, the year-over-year increase in average weekly earnings was about three per cent.
Between October 2008 and last month, average weekly earnings rose in the public administration, retail, education, accommodation and food services and health care and social services sectors.
However, average weekly earnings fell in the construction and manufacturing.
Weekly earnings rose in all provinces between October 2008 and October 2009.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
