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By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

red deer's unemployment down a tick

Alberta’s job numbers improved in November

Dec 5, 2025 | 2:13 PM

Red Deer’s unemployment rate held steady in November, ticking just a point down to 7.3 per cent.

It was 7.4 per cent in October, according to Labour Force Statistics released by the Government of Alberta, via Statistics Canada.

A year ago, it was 6.9 per cent.

Edmonton went from 8.6 per cent to 7.7 per cent, and Calgary dropped from 7.9 per cent to 7.3 per cent.

Provincially, unemployment is now at 6.5 per cent, down from 7.8 per cent a month ago. That means Alberta added 28,700 jobs in November.

red deer's unemployment down a tick

Alberta's job numbers improved in November

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In November 2024, unemployment was at 7.6 per cent provincially.

ATB Financial noted the job market showed signs of life in November.

“Employment rose 54,000 in Canada last month, with more than half of those gains coming from Alberta,” they say in their ‘TwentyFourSeven report.

“One month doesn’t make a trend, and two months doesn’t either. But it’s hard to dismiss the strong readings over the last three months. Employment growth in Alberta has exceeded 10K/month in the last three months, more than reversing a summer of job losses. The recent uptick, moreover, has been driven by private sector payrolls, a marked turnaround from the public sector driven growth earlier in the year.”

INDIGENOUS STATISTICS (per the Gov’t of Alberta):

• In November 2025, the unemployment rate for Indigenous peoples living off reserve in Alberta was 9.7 per cent. This is down 1.2 percentage points from October and up 0.2 percentage points from the same month last year.
• Employment among Indigenous men increased by 200 jobs, while Indigenous women experienced no change in employment between October and November 2025.
• Between October and November 2025, employment among Indigenous youth (ages 15 to 24) fell by 200 jobs, and among core-aged Indigenous workers (25 to 54) by 1,400 jobs. In contrast, employment for older Indigenous workers (55 and over) increased by 1,800 jobs.

“Youth unemployment is an issue faced by every jurisdiction in Canada, with Alberta feeling exceptional pressure due to high immigration and interprovincial migration,” Minister of Jobs Joseph Schow said Friday.

“Now, we have the fifth-lowest unemployment rate among youth at 13.5 per cent and a general unemployment rate that is in line with the national average. This follows our announcement of the Alberta Youth Employment Incentive and our ongoing calls to the federal government to bring immigration under control, particularly among entry-level workers.”

The provincial report can be read in its entirety here.