(Adds analyst comments, updates Canadian dollar reaction) OTTAWA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Canadian job gains slowed more than expected in July, data showed on Friday, with economists eyeing more growth to come but at a more gradual pace as employment continues to edge closer to pre-pandemic levels. The country added 94,000 jobs in July, missing analyst expectations of 177,500, though most of the gains were in full-time work. The unemployment rate fell to 7.5%, just off expectations of 7.4%, according to Statistics Canada data. Employment remains 1.3% below February 2020 levels. “I think we have to keep things in perspective. It’s a big step in the right direction,” said Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. “I would say instead of a gold medal, this is more like a silver medal for jobs.” Full-time employment rose by 83,000, while part-time employment rose by 11,000. The service sector added 92,900 jobs, while goods sector employment rose by just 1,000 positions. Many of the job gains were among youth and women aged 25-54. Combined with a robust gain in June, Canada’s economy has now recovered all the jobs lost during the third wave of the pandemic, said Royce Mendes, senior economist at CIBC Capital Markets. “Gains are likely to slow from here with many employers reporting labor shortages due to generous government support, concerns about contracting COVID in high-contact work settings, and childcare duties,” he added in a note. Employers are also giving more hours to existing personnel rather than boosting their workforce. Total hours worked rose 1.3% in July, bringing that measure within 2.7% of pre-pandemic levels, Statscan said. “I think we have to soak up the hours worked before we get even faster job growth,” said Derek Holt, vice president of Capital Markets Economics at Scotiabank. Holt forecast the July job report was unlikely to move the dial for the Bank of Canada, which still sees significant slack left in the job market. The Canadian dollar was trading down 0.1% at 1.2519 to the U.S. dollar, or 79.88 U.S. cents, as the greenback gained ground against a basket of major currencies. (Reporting by Julie Gordon; additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Fergal Smith and Jeff Lewis in Toronto; editing by Toby Chopra, Paul Simao and Jonathan Oatis) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.