Windsor's unemployment rate has dropped for the fifth straight month.

The jobless rate was 6.4 per cent in April, compared to 7.0 per cent in March, according to Statistics Canada.

The overall Canadian labour market was stuck in neutral last month as a solid employment gain in the services sector was wiped out by job losses in the goods-producing industry, especially manufacturing.

Statistics Canada said Friday that the national unemployment rate for April remained unchanged at 7.1 per cent.

Overall, the country lost 2,100 jobs nationally -- a number that Statistics Canada considers to be close to zero.

But Alberta's woes persisted as it lost 20,800 positions in April -- the most of any province.

The province has been hit hard by low oil prices and it's now contending with a monstrous wildfire that has forced the shutdown of economically critical oilsands facilities and the evacuation of Fort McMurray.

Economists have been looking to Canada's manufacturing industry to pick up the slack from Canada's hobbled resources sector, which has struggled amid low commodity prices.

With files from The Canadian Press.