Red Deer region unemployment rate increases in May

This month, Alberta’s unemployment rate was the fourth lowest in the province and is the exact same as the national unemployment rate. Only Saskatchewan (6.2 per cent), Quebec (5.6 per cent), and Manitoba (5.5 per cent) were lower.

Key highlights per the Government of Alberta:

There were 2,670,500 people employed in Alberta, an increase of 104,400 (+4.1 per cent) compared to May 2025 and an increase of 13,900 from the previous month. Nationally, Canada recorded an increase in employment of 87,800 (+0.4 per cent) from the previous month.
Alberta’s unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 6.6 per cent, in line with the national rate.
Employment increased in the private sector (+12,900) and the public sector (+1,200) but decreased among the self-employed (-100).
Full-time employment increased by 25,700, while part-time employment decreased by 11,800 from the previous month.
The largest monthly employment gains were in construction (+9,800); healthcare and social assistance (+8,300); and information, recreation and culture (+5,300).
The largest monthly employment decreases were in wholesale and retail trade (-8,500); manufacturing (-6,200); and public administration (-3,300).

Indigenous Statistics:

In May 2026, the unemployment rate for Indigenous peoples living off reserve in Alberta was 12.8%. This is an increase of 1.2 percentage points from April 2026 and an increase of 2.0 percentage points from the same month last year.
Employment increased for Indigenous women (400) and decreased for Indigenous men (-200) between April 2026 and May 2026.
Between April 2026 and May 2026, employment rose for Indigenous youth (15 to 24 years old) (+1,200), shrunk among core-aged Indigenous workers (25 to 54 years old) (-2,500), and increased for older Indigenous workers (55+ years) (+1,500).

The full May 2026 report can be found here.

by Ian Gustafson

Red Deer region unemployment rate increases in May

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