Ottawa, October 8, 2010- Today’s Statistics Canada report that Canada’s labour market shed 6,600 jobs in September demonstrates that the Ottawa’s highest priority must be to encourage private sector job creation, says the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

“While we still see the recovery taking hold, the loss of jobs indicates that the economy is fragile. We need to do everything we can to see it continue,” says Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Today’s employment report follows other reports showing that the Canadian economic recovery is losing momentum in the second half of the year. Uncertainty about the strength of the recovery will likely restrain job gains for the remainder of 2010 and into 2011.

“The figures confirm that the government was right to hold EI premium increases to a minimum in the coming year. They also mean that we need a clear signal now that the promised corporate tax reductions will continue. Canadian businesses have based their planning on the government’s commitment. Loose talk about canceling the reductions may cause companies to pull back on their investment and hiring,” says Beatty. “Business confidence requires certainty, and continued calls by politicians to add a multi-billion dollar tax bill to what businesses have been told to plan for can cost jobs and delay the recovery.”

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 420 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 192,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions.

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Contact: 613.238.4000 ext. 237