The U.S.  consumer is being plagued by falling house prices, the high cost of gasoline and tighter credit. All of these problems, to a lesser degree, are spreading to Canada.  Total job growth (+1.8%) in June 2008 in Canada remained solid on a year-over-year basis, but not spectacular. However, there are some worrying trends behind the overall number. The new jobs have been coming from part-time employment, as opposed to full-time, and it is the public sector that is hiring, more than the private sector.