Red Deer’s unemployment rate among the highest in Canada

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

From February to March, the unemployment rate in Red Deer went down from 9.6 to 8.5 per cent, which is still one of the highest amongst all Census Metropolitan Areas. Only Newfoundland and Labrador, Peterborough, Toronto, and Windsor had a higher rate.

Meanwhile, the employment rate in the community went up from from 61 to 63.3 per cent in March.

In comparison, Calgary’s unemployment rate went from 7.3 to 7.2 per cent over the past month and the employment rate also went down from 66.6 to 66.1 per cent. Edmonton’s unemployment rate went up from 7.1 to 7.2 per cent and the city’s employment rate went down from 63.2 to 63.1 per cent.