Released on June 6, 2014
May was an exceptional month for Saskatchewan’s job market according to new figures released by Statistics Canada today. There were 573,300 people employed in May 2014, the highest ever recorded for any month. That means 12,400 more people were working in the province compared to last May. Saskatchewan’s employment growth of 2.2 per cent was the second highest among provinces; only three other provinces had job growth.“On a national basis, Saskatchewan had the second best percentage increase when comparing job numbers from May 2014 to May 2013, and was one of only four provinces to show an increase,” Associate Economy Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “The western provinces and Ontario were the only parts of the country to record job growth.”
Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate in May 2014 was 3.7 per cent, the lowest among the provinces and lower than the 7.0 per cent recorded on a national basis (seasonally adjusted). Regina’s unemployment rate was 3.7 per cent and Saskatoon’s was 4.2 per cent, ranking first and second among 35 major Canadian cities. Aboriginal unemployment off-reserve was 11.1 per cent. The Aboriginal unemployment rate has declined year-over-year for the past 20 months.
Other highlights:
- Full-time employment was up 9,900 to a record 474,100 for the month of May;
- Aboriginal employment was up 1,000 for 16 consecutive months of year-over-year increases;
- Labour force totalled 594,800, a record level for the month of May;
- Private sector employment was up 12,800 from last May;
- Resources were up 3,000 from last May;
- Agriculture was up 1,800;
- Construction was up 5,200 from last May;
- Business, building and other support services up 1,500 from last May; and
- Transportation and warehousing up 1,500 from last May.
“Our province has had the lowest unemployment rate in the country for the seventeenth straight month,” Harrison said. “Combine that with record job numbers, higher Aboriginal employment and more jobs in our key sectors and it is clear Saskatchewan’s economy continues to move forward.”
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For more information, contact:
Deb Young
Economy
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-4765
Email: deb.young@gov.sk.ca