Released on March 12, 2010
For the ninth consecutive month, Saskatchewan has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada. Saskatchewan's February unemployment rate of 4.3 per cent (seasonally adjusted) sits well below the national rate of 8.2 per cent.
"With strong economic forecasts, the lowest unemployment rate in Canada and record earnings for Saskatchewan workers, Saskatchewan is the place to be for skilled workers looking for employment," Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris said. "And with forecasters calling for Regina and Saskatoon to see positive employment growth in the coming months, there's good reason to be optimistic looking forward."
There were 517,400 people working in Saskatchewan in February, an increase of 3,100 compared to February 2009 and a record high for the month of February. Of particular note, full-time employment increased by 12,000. Canada as a whole saw an overall increase of 104,600 over the past year.
Unemployment rates in Saskatoon (4.3 per cent) and Regina (4.8 per cent) rank second and third among major Canadian cities (Quebec City ranked first with a rate of 4.1 per cent). Saskatoon saw an increase of 2,400 jobs over last year.
Norris also pointed to SaskJobs.ca, which saw a 12.5 per cent year over year increase in February job postings, as an indicator of opportunity in Saskatchewan.
"With 6,000 jobs available today, SaskJobs.ca continues to be a vital resource for Saskatchewan workers and employers alike," Norris said.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Christopher Jones-Bonk
Advanced Education, Employment and Labour
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3106
Email: chris.jones-bonk@gov.sk.ca