The Swift Current-Moose Jaw labour region had almost 5,000 more unemployed workers at the end of January than a year ago.
There were 51,100 persons employed in the region at Jan. 31 compared with 55,000 a year ago, according to the Statistics Canada monthly employment survey.
There were also 2,500 fewer people in the region’s labour force with those people having stopped looking for work, moved away or retired.
The unemployment rate for the region was 6.9 per cent, compared with 4.2 per cent one year ago when the pandemic was just starting.
Unemployment jumped sharply month over month with 1,300 more lost jobs from December 31, 2020 to the end of January 2021.
The Saskatchewan unemployment rate of 7.3 per cent compared with 6.3 per cent in January 2020 with a loss of 26,000 jobs across the province during the year.
The Saskatchewan labour force has declined by 16,600 persons in the last 12 months with these people no longer looking for work, retired or moved out of the province.
Top five categories of job losses during the 12 months were accommodation and food services losing 1,400 jobs and natural resources losing 900.
Tied for third at 700 job losses each were wholesale, retail and finance, insurance and real estate. Tied for fourth with 500 lost jobs each were agriculture, utilities, public administration and other services.
Top five categories with increased jobs were health care and social services, 2,000; education, 1,800; construction, 1,400; goods manufacturing, 1,000; and business support, 500 jobs.
The Swift Current-Moose Jaw labour region has the second lowest unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent among the province’s five regions.
Lowest unemployment rate is six per cent in the Yorkton-Melville region, with third lowest of seven per cent in the Prince Albert northern region.
Fourth goes to Regina-Moose Mountain at 7.2 per cent.
Highest unemployment rate is in Saskatoon-Biggar at 7.8 per cent.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
