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By Ian Gustafson

Local and provincial numbers

Red Deer’s employment up in January, but unemployment one of highest in Canada

Feb 7, 2025 | 11:47 AM

Statistics Canada released results of its labour force survey for January 2025 and there’s both good and bad news as it relates to Red Deer.

The good news is from December 2024 to January 2025, Red Deer’s employment rate saw a 1.3 per cent increase from 58.6 per cent to 59.9 per cent. However, from January 2024 to 2025 there was a slight decrease of 0.5 per cent.

That’s lower than the national rate of 61.1 per cent, which rose 0.1 per cent.

On the not so positive side of things, the unemployment rate in Red Deer remains the highest of all Census Metropolitan Areas, as set out by Statistics Canada.

While Red Deer’s unemployment rate actually went down over the last month by 0.3 per cent, from 10.0 to 9.7 per cent, it still stands above the rest.

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Over the past year, as well, the unemployment rate for Red Deer has risen 2.5 per cent.

Scott Robinson, CEO, Red Deer District Chamber, weighed in Friday, noting there isn’t a plethora of construction and energy activity going on in the region.

He also pointed out that the new numbers don’t include job losses at Red Deer-based Peavey Industries announced late last month.

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READ MORE: Peavey Industries confirms closure of 96 stores across Canada

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“There’s been a lot of work happening to try and reposition the region. There are good things coming, for example, with the hospital build, which will add to the economic activity of the region. Migration is playing a role as unaffordability in Edmonton and Calgary grows, and it creates opportunity in central Alberta,” he said, optimistically.

“It’s a step-by-step process, and we’re doing what we can right now, but I think there’s a lot more work to be done. That’s where the Chamber and the city, and some of the other community partners, are trying to work together to elevate our game.”

Robinson says affordable housing projects, the target of a newly-formed Chamber-led Homeless Foundation, could also bolster construction jobs. Meantime, housing starts are on the rise, he added.

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READ MORE: Housing starts up 87 per cent in Red Deer

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Elsewhere, the unemployment rate came in at 7.7 per cent in Calgary last month, 7.2 per cent in Edmonton, and 5.2 per cent in Lethbridge.

In Alberta last month, the unemployment rate stayed the same at 6.7 per cent but employment went down 0.3 per cent. From 2024 to 2025, unemployment went up 0.4 per cent and employment went down 0.9 per cent.

For more on the latest report, visit Statistics Canada.