By Troy Gillard

Provincial rate second highest in Canada

Red Deer unemployment rate sees decrease in September

Oct 9, 2020 | 9:25 AM

The unemployment rate for the Red Deer region for September was 12.1 per cent, down from 12.9 per cent in August, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada.

The local jobless rate in September 2019 was 8.0 per cent.

Edmonton now has the province’s highest jobless rate at 13 per cent followed by Calgary (12.5), Camrose-Drumheller (12.4) and Red Deer.

Lethbridge-Medicine Hat has Alberta’s lowest unemployment rate at 8.6 per cent, unchanged from August.

The provincial jobless rate remained essentially unchanged, dropping just one-tenth of a percentage point to 11.7 per cent in September from 11.8 per cent in August. Alberta’s jobless rate in September 2019 was 6.6 per cent.

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There were 293,200 Albertans actively looking for work but unable to find it in September.

Just over 38,000 jobs were added in September (+1.8 per cent), but the number of jobs in the province was still down by 142,700 compared to a year ago (-6.1 per cent). About 90 per cent of the new jobs were full-time positions.

Alberta’s is the second highest unemployment rate in the country behind only Newfoundland and Labrador (14.8%).

The national economy added 378,000 jobs in September, pushing the jobless rate down to nine per cent. Most of the employment gains came in full-time work, after months of gains in part-time employment.

Statistics Canada recorded increases in every province except New Brunswick and PEI, with Ontario and Quebec leading the way.

(With file from The Canadian Press and ATB Financial)