| Job growth in Saskatchewan remains sluggish | | Print | |
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3 February 2012 Saskatchewan added merely 1,300 full-time jobs over the past year while neighbouring Alberta added 116,300 full-time jobs, according to a new report from Statistics Canada. The number of people working in Saskatchewan is the lowest it has been since May 2011. "It’s astonishing how few jobs Saskatchewan added over the last year, especially compared to Alberta," NDP employment critic Cam Broten said. "There are 27,900 people looking for work in our province. The sluggish year-over-year job growth is especially bad news for them and their families." Sectors that lost the most jobs were: agriculture (-4,600 jobs); information, culture, and recreation (-2,600 jobs); forestry, fishing, mining, oil, and gas (-2,400 jobs); finance, insurance, real estate, and leasing (-1,000 jobs); and construction (-900 jobs). Regions that were hardest hit by job loss were: Swift Current-Moose Jaw (-2,400 jobs) and Prince Albert-Northern (-4,300 jobs). Broten noted that the First Nations unemployment rate is 21.4 per cent and the Métis unemployment rate is 12.2 per cent – an increase of 7.5 per cent and 3 per cent respectively under the Sask. Party government’s watch. "Key sectors and regions are losing jobs, too many First Nations and Métis people cannot find work, and job growth is generally tepid here while it's booming in other provinces," Broten said. "That's not a pretty picture and the Sask. Party is partially responsible due to their shortsighted cuts to job training and employment development programs, including the Aboriginal Employment Development Program."
Number of people employed
Source: Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics
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