Unemployment rates in the Border City are worse in Alberta than in Saskatchewan. Both sit higher than they were last month, albeit more dramatically in Alberta.
The Saskatchewan region of Prince Albert and Northern Saskatchewan started 2019 with a 7 per cent unemployment rate. By the end of January that figure rose to 7.8 per cent, and now it sits at 7.9 per cent. This is 1.6 per cent higher than the same time last year.
The Alberta side’s region of Camrose–Drumheller began the year at 7 per cent. Since then, it’s risen to 7.8 by the end of January and currently sits at 8.8 per cent. This is more than double the unemployment rate of last February, which was 4.1 per cent.
Both are higher than their provincial averages; Saskatchewan’s level of unemployment is 5.7 per cent while Alberta’s is 6.9. This is an upward trend for both provinces since January, as Saskatchewan finished the month with 5.4 per cent unemployment while Alberta previously sat at 6.3 per cent.
According to Statistics Canada, employment grew for a second month straight in February due to gains in full-time work. The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.8 per cent. In Alberta, employment was virtually unchanged from the previous month and on a year-over-year basis.
