Job numbers released by Statistics Canada show Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate fell to 5.2 per cent and a total of 10,100 jobs were gained in November 2021.
The province’s unemployment rate is down from 6.2 per cent a month ago and below the national average of 6.0 per cent, which is seasonally adjusted.
A year ago, Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate was 7.1 per cent.
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Of the 10,100 jobs gained in November, 7,500 were full-time, according to StatCan.
“Saskatchewan’s economy continues to show strength with more jobs being created and the unemployment rate continuing to drop,” Saskatchewan’s Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said.
“We are also working to address the current labour shortages in certain sectors through funding for skills training programs, as well as the new Hard-to-Fill Skills Immigration Pilot in order to ensure this strength continues,” Harrison added.
Off-reserve Indigenous employment was up 11.8 per cent, or 6,300 jobs for 12 consecutive months of year-over-year increases – all of which were in full-time jobs.
Indigenous youth employment was up by 4.6 per cent or 400 jobs for eight consecutive months of year-over-year increases.
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A government press release added major year-over-year gains were reported for wholesale and retail trade, up 11,100 jobs; and health care and social assistance, up 6,200 jobs.
Over the same time, the private sector was up 7,200 jobs or 2.3 per cent.
Women’s employment was also up by 7,200 jobs or 2.9 per cent, ahead of male employment which grew by 0.9 per cent and youth employment was up 4,300 jobs or 6.0 per cent.
Saskatchewan’s youth employment rate was 9.4 per cent, the third-lowest among the provinces and below the national average of 10.5 per cent, seasonally adjusted.
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While the Saskatchewan Party is boasting the job numbers, the official Opposition says Saskatchewan is “trailing the nation when it comes to pandemic job recovery.”
According to data from Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan pandemic job recovery is at -1.8 per cent.
“We’re one of only two provinces that still hasn’t recovered all the jobs lost during the pandemic and yet we have a Sask. Party Jobs Minister who’s at risk of injury from patting himself on the back too hard,” said Aleana Young, opposition critic for jobs and the economy, in a release.
“The Sask. Party’s failure to control the 4th wave left us with the worst of both worlds – the worst rate of job losses since the pandemic began, and the highest COVID death rate in the country,” Young added.