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Modest improvement in Red Deer region’s unemployment rate

Unemployment in Alberta at 6.5 per cent
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Unemployment in the Red Deer region inched down from 7.1 in February to 6.9 per cent last month.

The unemployment rate in the region is also higher than the provincial rate of 6.5 per cent, according to Alberta Labour Force Statistics for March.

Across the province, the Calgary region had the highest unemployment at 7.6 per cent, and the region of Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House, Athabasca-Grande Prairie and Peace River had the lowest unemployment at 5.3 per cent.

Compared to a year ago, the rate is definitely heading in the right direction, said Scott Robinson, Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce CEO.

In March 2021, unemployment in the Red Deer region sat at 10.2 per cent, and the provincial rate was 9 per cent.

“Obviously for us, the uptick in the oil and gas industry is helping to some degree, and the recovery coming out of the pandemic is having an impact. The economy is picking up,” Robinson said.

Related:

Jobless rate falls to record low as economy adds 72,500 jobs in March, StatCan says

He said jobs are out there, but sometimes there is a disconnect in central Alberta between a sector and unemployed workers so they don’t fit.

Earlier this week the federal government eased the rules for temporary foreign workers. Employers can hire foreign workers for more low-wage jobs, and in areas where the unemployment rate remains high.

“That certainly helps our agricultural industries. It helps the service industries. We are struggling to get labour in some of those,” Robinson said.

The federal budget also included funding for a Trusted Employer Model that reduces red tape for repeat employers who meet the highest standards for working and living conditions, protections, and wages in high-demand fields.

“Those are things that will be of benefit to our economy because labour is one of our biggest challenges right now,” Robinson added.

Related:

February unemployment at 7.1 per cent in Red Deer region

Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer said Alberta’s economy is gaining strength.

“We continue to see job gains, with 15,700 new full-time jobs added in March, and again, Alberta leads the country with our 64.7 per cent employment rate,” Schweitzer said in a statement.

“We are seeing more major investors from across multiple sectors choose to do business in Alberta. Three weeks ago, Walmart Canada announced an investment of more than $118 million that will create about 325 jobs in the high-tech logistics space. Just last week, De Havilland announced 500 jobs in Calgary for aerospace manufacturing. Our work to cut red tape, lower the corporate tax rate and promote a business-friendly environment is paying off.”

He said the province is working to address labour demands in key sectors as well as other challenges, including youth unemployment, barriers to entry for underrepresented groups and long-term unemployment.



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

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