These were partially offset by losses in professional, scientific, and technical services, as well as agriculture. Taiwan's economy exits from the recession with 9.22% growth in the last quarter of 2009 after increased demand from China and other key markets in the region. Europe risks a double-dip recession after bad results emerged from France, Germany and Italy. The Eurozone only grew by 0.1% in the last quarter of 2009. The economy is rocketing further away from recession, increasing the chances that the Bank of Canada will lift borrowing costs more aggressively than expected later this year. Economic growth surged an annualized 5% in the fourth quarter, providing the clearest sign yet that a broad-based recovery is taking firm hold. It was the fastest annualized quarterly growth since 2000, and the first solidly positive quarter since the economy entered recession in 2008 amid a global pullback brought on by the financial crisis. The fourth-quarter surge was fuelled by everything from a strong housing sector and healthy consumer spending to a surprise turnaround for net trade as the country's exports grew at almost double the pace of imports, according to Statistics Canada.  21,000 jobs were created in Canada as of February 2010. However, employers are still not hiring people in most places including Stelco and other jobs that are in rural areas like Norfolk County, Ontario. Last quarter expansion of 1.2% in 2009 officially brought Macedonia out of the recession. Overall, Macedonia's GDP contracted by 0.7% last year.  162,000 jobs were created in the United States, unemployment rate held steady at 9.7%.  17,900 new jobs were created in Canada in the previous month. The trend is moving towards job creation instead of layoffs as seen in late 2008 and most of 2009. Jobs are being created in the private sector while public sector jobs are losing ground. Employment increased marginally in Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The union vote ratification for Stelco Lake Erie Works was confirmed with 88.5% voting in favor of the three-year deal; keeping the place open for industry. As a result, numerous jobs in the local area were saved by this "eleventh hour" action. Canadian factories hummed, consumers bought more houses, governments spent more money, prices increased and the economy posted its best quarter of growth in more than 10 years. The Canadian economy expanded at an annualized rate of 6.1% in the first quarter, surpassing analyst expectations and marking the best growth rate since 1999. Economists had expected annualized GDP growth of 5.9% in the last quarter, up from 5% in last year's fourth quarter.