MONTREAL -- Employment growth in Quebec is so strong that the province's unemployment rate in 2019 was its lowest since such data began being compiled in1976, says the Institut de la statistique du Québec.

The unemployment rate in Quebec for 2018 stood at 5.1 per cent, representing an increase of 77,700 jobs over the previous year.

In an interview on Wednesday, ISQ labour statistics analyst Marc-André Demers pointed out that just 10 years ago, the unemployment rate in Quebec had reached almost 9 per cent.

Wages are also on the rise in Quebec, the ISQ found. The growth in average hourly wages was twice as high in 2019 as in 2018, or 4.8 per cent compared to 1.9 per cent in 2018.

The analysis also reveals significant growth in employment for the immigrant population as well as growth in unionized employment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2020.