Southern Alberta region’s unemployment lowest in Alberta again, sitting at 4.6%
By Medicine Hat News on March 7, 2020.
Southern rural Alberta has the lowest unemployment rate in the province once again, according to new figures released Friday for February. The Medicine Hat-Lethbridge economic region’s jobless rate sat at 4.6 per cent during the month, down from 5.8 per cent one year ago. The current figure is more than one percentage point lower than any other region in the province. The rate rose dramatically in Red Deer and Edmonton, but gains in Calgary, the south, and east-central Alberta moved the provincial rate down by one-10th of a point to 7.2 per cent year over year. The national rate of 5.6 per cent was lowered thanks to huge gains in Quebec (4.5 per cent in February), which surpassed B.C. (5 per cent) to post the lowest rate in the country. Saskatchewan’s rose to 6.2 per cent and Manitoba’s fell to 5 per cent. The local figure was slightly higher than the January figure of 4.6 per cent, though economists state the yearly comparison is more indicative considering the seasonal nature of some employment. Edmonton’s rate saw a slight monthly reduction to 7.8 per cent, but sits well above the February 2019 rate of 7 per cent. In Calgary, the three-month adjusted rate edged lower to 7.4 per cent. Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray) remained even at 5.8 per cent, and Drumheller-Camrose saw a two-point improvement falling to 6.4 per cent. Red Deer’s rate ballooned to 8.6 per cent (from 4.7 per cent last year), and Grande Prairie region also increased to 6.8 per cent. Overall in Alberta, there were 2,200 fewer unemployed people in February compared to one year earlier, and total number of jobs fell by 300 to sit at 2.29 million. 10-9
