MOOSE JAW — Judging by employment data, the Saskatchewan economy is really on a tear.
The province’s five per cent rate of unemployment was the lowest in Canada in the July Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada.
The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.9 per cent.
The province created 3,500 jobs in one month, with 16,000 new jobs in the last 12 months.
People looking for work fell by 3,900 to 30,700 in this province.
Employers added almost 20,000 full-time jobs in a year while cutting part-time jobs by 3,500 — another indication of confidence in the economy.
Health care and social assistance led with 9,500 new jobs.
Warehousing gained 7,400 jobs while public administration found 1,600 new spots.
Year over year, construction was a big job creator with 6,700 new spots.
Financial activities gained 2,100 jobs while utilities gained 2,200.
Culture and recreation added 1,300, with agriculture adding 1,700.
Occupational classes losing jobs included 2,100 in manufacturing, 1,200 in transportation, 3,400 in professional services and 100 in food and accommodation.
The Moose Jaw Swift Current employment region led the six Saskatchewan regions with the lowest unemployment rate of 2.4 per cent — a decline from 5.2 per cent in one year.
The number of people looking for work in the region was cut in half to 1,300 from 2,800.
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected]
