New data from Statistics Canada about housing starts this past April shows there are positive signs of a strong economic recovery in Saskatchewan, with the province recording major increases in housing starts.
Urban housing starts in Saskatchewan in April increased to 369 units compared to 173 homes the previous April, an increase of 113.3 per cent, which was the second-highest percentage growth after Newfoundland during that same time, while housing starts overall across the country increased by 63.2 per cent, according to a provincial government news release.
Data from Stats Canada shows that urban housing starts in Saskatchewan during the first four months of 2021 increased to 1,004 units compared to 502 units during the same period in 2020, a jump of 101.4 per cent. This placed Saskatchewan second among the provinces in percentage change.
“Strong growth in leading economic indicators like housing starts, manufacturing sales, and job growth show our economy is resilient and that Saskatchewan continues to lead the nation in economic recovery coming out of the global COVID-19 pandemic,” MLA Jeremy Harrison, minister of trade and export development, said in the news release.
“Saskatchewan has one of the most competitive business environments in all of Canada, and as we’ve seen with the recent large private sector investments worth billions of dollars, our province is in an enviable position.”
Housing starts for single-family dwellings increased to 164 units during April 2021 compared to 63 units during the same time last year, Stats Canada’s data showed. Meanwhile, housing starts for multiple units jumped to 205 units compared to 110 homes, an increase of 86.4 per cent.
The strong growth in housing starts contributed significantly to the large increase of 8,700 new construction jobs this April compared to last April, based on the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey for April 2021, the news release added.
More information about housing starts in Saskatchewan and Canada can be found on the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation website or the Statistics Canada website.