Skip to content

Red Deer’s unemployment rate drops in June, but still the highest in Alberta

‘Alberta has seen job gains for eight consecutive months’
29714475_web1_210205-RDA-Economy-lost-213000-jobs-in-January-biggest-decline-since-April-Statistics-Canada-jobs_1
FILE - A worker smooths concrete at a housing development in Toronto, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Red Deer region continues to have the highest unadjusted unemployment rate in Alberta at 6.9 per cent last month.

The rate has mostly been on the decline in 2022 with rates of 7.0 per cent in January, 7.1 in February, 6.9 in March, and 6.7 in April, before increasing to 7.4 in May.

Year-over-year, the rate dropped 3.3 per cent since June 2021, according to Statistic Canada’s Labour Market Indicators

Alberta’s unemployment fell to 5.4 per cent in June from 6.0 per cent in May.

According to Statistics Canada, the Edmonton region had the second highest unadjusted unemployment rate in Alberta at 5.7 per cent, followed by Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake and Camrose-Drumheller at 5.5 per cent. Calgary was at 5.3 per cent, Lethbridge-Medicine Hat was at 5.0 per cent, and Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House, Athabasca-Grande Prairie and Peace River was at 4.5 per cent.

Camrose had the lowest unemployment rate at 4.1 per cent.

Related:

May unemployment rate for Red Deer region highest in Alberta

Canada’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate — which eliminates the effect of seasonal influences — was down 0.2 per cent to a new record low of 4.9 per cent in June because fewer people searched for work.

“The employment loss was almost entirely due to a decrease among workers aged 55 and older. Across industries, a decline in the services-producing sector, particularly in retail trade, was moderated by gains in the goods-producing sector,” said Statistics Canada in its June 2022 Labour Force Survey.

Canada lost 43,000 jobs in June, offsetting the increase of 40,000 jobs recorded in May.

Related:

Unemployment rate continues to slide in Red Deer region

Alberta’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.4 per cent to 4.9 per cent in June.

Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer said it was the first time since December 2015 that Alberta has been on par with the national average.

“Both Edmonton and Calgary have seen their unemployment rates drop to the levels of early spring 2015. Our low unemployment rate continues to indicate a solid path to recovery,” Schweitzer said in a statement.

“With 2,000 new jobs added, Alberta has seen job gains for eight consecutive months and has now added more than 200,000 jobs since January 2021,” Schweitzer said.

Deron Bilous, the NDP’s economic development and innovation critic, said June’s job numbers are bad news for Albertans already struggling to make ends meet.

“Despite an ongoing global economic recovery and record resource revenue, overall jobs in Alberta were relatively flat while 6,400 full-time jobs were lost and 7,100 Albertans left the workforce altogether,” Bilous said in a statement.

“At the same time, wages have failed to keep pace with inflation as the cost of living continues to increase due to UCP policies. Income taxes, property taxes, school fees, tuition, interest on student loans, park fees, auto insurance and utilities have all gone up under the UCP.”



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter