The Toronto stock market edged into the red Wednesday afternoon as signs of strong Canadian economic growth to start the year ran up against a negative private-sector employment report from the United States.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 3.77 points to 12,040.44 in the final trading session of the second quarter.

Statistics Canada reported real GDP advanced 0.6 per cent in January, its fifth straight monthly increase. That was slightly ahead of the bullish estimate of a 0.5 per cent increase from December, or six per cent annualized, that economists had expected.

“The Canadian economy really continues to benefit from a stronger consumer, government spending and strong construction sector,” said Jeffrey Bradacs, senior investment analyst at MFC.

“GDP growth for the first quarter continues to outpace the bank of Canada’s forecast, and that increases the likelihood of a rate increase in June.”

The Canadian dollar, which has been hovering just below parity with the American currency, was ahead 0.46 of a cent to 98.55 cents US early Wednesday.

A separate report from Statistics Canada showed that total hours worked by payroll employees increased by 0.3 per cent in January while non-farm payroll employment was virtually unchanged.

TSX metals stocks were up 0.4 per cent on a flurry of activity in the sector. Inmet Mining Corp. (TSX:IMN) has arranged a $500-million equity financing through Ellington Investments Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of a Singapore-based investment company with holdings in Asia and Latin America. Shares rose eight per cent, or $4.45, to $59.95.

Meanwhile, Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. (TSX:WM) says it will spin off all its copper, gold and molybdenum properties in British Columbia to a new independent company called Miocene Metals Ltd. Its shares were up 2.5 cents to 28 cents.

The gold sector was also ahead, 1.1 per cent higher, as the May gold contract increased $9.90 to $1,114.40 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The May copper contract lost one cent to a 19-month high of US$3.55 a pound.

Energy stocks lifted 0.9 per cent with the May crude contract on the NYSE ahead $1.33 cents to US$83.70 a barrel.

The information technology sector backed off 0.8 per cent ahead of earnings from BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) scheduled after the closing bell. It shares were down 47 cents to $75.79.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average dipped 14 points to 10,893. The Nasdaq composite index rose four points to 2,415 while the S&P 500 index was flat at 1,174.

In the U.S., payroll company ADP says employers slashed 23,000 jobs in March, compared to economists predictions which had forecast companies would add 40,000 jobs during the month.

The ADP report is seen as an early indicator of the U.S. Labour Department’s closely watched monthly employment report, which is due out Friday. However, there can be wide variations because ADP only accounts for private-sector jobs.

Economists expect the government report to show employers added 190,000 jobs in March. It would be only the second monthly increase in jobs since the recession began in late 2007. The number could be somewhat inflated because many temporary workers were hired to conduct the 2010 census.

Employment growth is considered vital to a strong recovery in the U.S. because it will give consumers more confidence to go out and spend money, the biggest driver of economic activity in the country.

The ADP report also outshone data from the U.S. Commerce Department showing that factory orders rose 0.6 per cent last month, a decrease from January’s upwardly revised gain of 2.5 per cent. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters forecast an increase of 0.5 per cent.