Canada says recession over only in technical sense

OTTAWA, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The recession in Canada is only over in a technical sense because the recovery is extremely fragile and there are still problems in the job market, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Monday.

"We've got (Federal Reserve) Chairman (Ben) Bernanke and others saying the recession is over but I think that's only in a technical sense," Harper told a televised news conference in Guelph, Ontario.

"As long as we continue to have challenges in the labor market that affect Canadian families on the ground, then I don't think we can truly say the recession is over. So I think the recovery, while it exists, is extremely fragile." (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Rob Wilson)