REGINA — The Saskatchewan job market remained relatively stable in June, mirroring a national trend of slight improvements and steady employment. According to the latest Labour Force Survey, released by Statistics Canada Friday morning, the province added 6,500 jobs last month, bringing the total number of employed individuals to nearly 621,800. Despite the influx of new jobs, the provincial unemployment rate saw little change, hovering at 6.1 per cent, down just a fraction from the previous month.
Saskatchewan has the third-lowest unemployment rate among the provinces, behind Manitoba and Quebec, who are both at 5.4 per cent.
Nationally, the picture was slightly more optimistic. Canada's overall unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 per cent in June, down from 6.6 per cent in May. The national economy saw the number of employed Canadians rise to 21,139,700, while the number of unemployed individuals fell to 1,469,200. The national employment rate ticked up to 60.8 per cent, and the participation rate remained flat at 65.0 per cent.
Within Saskatchewan, the economic regions presented a diverse picture of the local economies. The Yorkton-Melville region continues to be the most resilient job market in the province. Even though the local unemployment rate rose slightly from 4.9 per cent in May to 5.1 per cent in June, it remains the lowest rate among all of Saskatchewan's economic regions. The area also managed to add 800 jobs, bringing total employment to 37,400.
Regina also saw strong job growth, adding 2,000 jobs in June. The capital city's unemployment rate dropped from 5.5 per cent to 5.4 per cent. Saskatoon added 2,300 jobs, but its unemployment rate remained relatively static, dipping slightly from 6.2 per cent to 6.1 per cent.
In the southern part of the province, the Swift Current-Moose Jaw region experienced a notable improvement. The area added 700 jobs, and its unemployment rate fell from 6.8 per cent in May to 6.3 per cent in June.
Conversely, the Prince Albert region continues to face challenges. While the area managed to add 800 jobs last month, bringing employment to 102,000, its unemployment rate climbed from 7.1 per cent to 7.4 per cent. This marks the highest unemployment rate among all economic regions in Saskatchewan, standing in stark contrast to the strong numbers seen in the Yorkton-Melville area.
