Gross domestic product by industry at factor cost, March 1999

Strong showings in most industrial sectors combined to produce a 0.3% increase in gross domestic product in March. The latest increase extended the economy’s steady expansion since strikes put the brakes on growth in mid-1998.

Labour Force Survey April 1999

After rising sharply in the last half of 1998, employment has leveled off since January and remained unchanged in April. A sharp jump in the number of people looking for work, most pronounced amongst youths, pushed the unemployment rate up half a percentage point to 8.3%. This increase in labour market activity caused the participation rate to rise to 66.0%, the highest since June 1993.