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By paNOW Staff

JOB NUMBERS

Despite high provincial numbers, P.A. and the north see employment drop

May 10, 2024 | 4:00 PM

While the Government of Saskatchewan is celebrating the latest job numbers from Statistics Canada, others say there’s a bigger picture that’s being ignored.

The province added 12,300 new jobs last month on a year-over-year basis, while the provincial labour force of those 15 years and over reached an all-time high of 633,000.

According to numbers released on Friday by Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate jumped slightly in April, rising to 5.7 per cent from 5.4 per cent in March.

While the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training said the rate is still below the national average of 6.1 per cent, others are not so positive.

The Saskatchewan NDP stated that no full-time jobs were added last month as job growth was down or stagnant in four out of Saskatchewan’s five economic regions.

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Of note is the Prince Albert census agglomeration which saw a 10 per cent decrease in employment, losing 2,200 positions from April 2023 to April 2024.

Off-reserve Indigenous employment was down 4,100 while Indigenous youth employment was down 600.

In the Prince Albert and Northern economic area, total employment was unchanged month-over-month.

“We’re losing record numbers of jobs in our rural areas as Scott Moe continues to have the worst jobs record in the country,” said Opposition Critic for Jobs and the Economy Aleana Young. “Saskatchewan people are finding it harder and harder to get ahead.”

The three industries with the largest employment gains in the province were educational services, professional, scientific and technical services and transportation & warehousing, while the three sectors with the largest losses were public administration, agriculture, and utilities.

(Government of Saskatchewan)

Saskatchewan’s growth rate of 2.1 per cent in employment ranked eighth among provinces, compared to the national increase of 2.2 per cent.

Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan’s minister of immigration and career training, chalked up the growth to “record investments” in the province.

“Through targeted investments and proactive support for employers, we are driving economic growth and equipping our workforce with the skills needed to fill job vacancies,” Harrison said in a statement.

At a national level, Canada added 90,000 total jobs last month, well ahead of expectations and marking the largest monthly gain since January of 2023.

-With files from The Canadian Press and 980 CJME