The Swift Current/Moose Jaw labour region had the second lowest unemployment rate of the province’s six regions in the first quarter of the year.
Unemployment in the region was 5.5 per cent, just a touch behind 5.2 per cent in Yorkton/Melville, according to the Statistics Canada Labour Survey.
Last year at March 30, this region had a 4.6 per cent rate of unemployment.
When April Fool’s day arrived, this region had 64,900 people working, up from 63,800 a year previous.
The total work force of 80,800 was 1,500 persons less than a year ago, indicating those people either left the region or quit looking for work.
Every one of the six labour regions in Saskatchewan had more people employed at March 31 with a lower unemployment rate.
Saskatchewan had 602,000 workers, an increase of 4,800 year over year with an unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent.
The Saskatchewan unemployment rate was third lowest in Canada behind Manitoba and British Columbia.
Highest unemployment rate was Newfoundland and Labrador at 13.2 per cent, down from 16.5 one year ago
The Canadian unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
