Red Deer’s unemployment rate dropped in September for the third straight month.
According to data released by Statistics Canada, the city’s unemployment rate sits at nine per cent, down from 10.2 in July and 9.8 in August.
Meanwhile, there are almost 6,000 fewer people employed and 9,000 fewer involved in the labour force compared to August.
“There are fewer people working and fewer looking for work. We have a long ways to go,” tweeted Reg Warkentin, policy and government relations with the Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce.
Provincially, Alberta’s unemployment rate is down four per cent year over year to 8.4 per cent and the province added about 19,600 jobs last month.
“There is still work to be done, but Statistics Canada had good news for Alberta, with a third straight month of job growth,” said Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer.
“Alberta added 19,600 new jobs in September, continuing our economic rebound. We’ve now recovered all of the jobs lost since the beginning of the pandemic.”
Schweitzer added that last week was only the third time in recorded history that Alberta exported four million barrels of oil a day to the United States, partially due to Enbridge’s Line 3 coming online.