Total workers up but jobless rates climb in Alberta
By Medicine Hat News on March 9, 2019.
The unemployment rate in rural southern Alberta and across the province rose in February despite more people working last month compared to January and the same time last year. In the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat economic region, the February unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent is above January’s rate of 5.4 per cent, but well below the rate of 6.9 per cent recorded 12 months earlier. Across the province, about 4,000 more people are working compared to January, but the rate rose because 17,000 more Albertans entered the labour force. Year over year, the number of people working rose by 13,400, but the labour force climbed by 40,000. Provincial unemployment at 7.3 per cent though, is fourth highest in the country. The national rate is 5.8 in February. British Columbia’s was lowest at 4.5 per cent. Saskatchewan’s rate was 5.8 per cent. Alberta’s employment rate leads the country at 66.5 per cent. Jobless rates in major cities also rose. Calgary’s three-month adjusted rate moved to 7.6 per cent, and Edmonton’s sat at 7.0 per cent. The local region’s rate is even with the Wood Buffalo rate at 5.8 per cent. In other rural regions, the Camrose-Drumheller region saw the highest rate at 8.8 per cent, followed by Grande Prairie (5.1 per cent), and Red Deer (4.7 per cent). All current regional rates were higher month-to-month, but lower in the yearly comparison. 8-7
