OTTAWA, July 6: An estimated 35,000 jobs were added in Canada in June, following little change in the previous two months, Statistics Canada said on Friday, adding pressure on the Bank of Canada to hike interest rates soon.

Despite the gain, the national unemployment rate remained at 6.1 per cent for the fifth consecutive month, as more people entered the labour force in June in search of work, the government agency said.

But analysts pointed out that the economy is at full capacity and inflation recently inched above the Bank of Canada’s 2.0 per cent target.

“Job creation was double what the market had anticipated, the unemployment rate remains at a historic low and salaries are skyrocketing,” analyst Marc Levesque of TD Securities told AFP.

“So, I'm certain the Bank of Canada will hike interest rates next week.”