(Image Credit: ID 11068825 © Lucian Milasan | Dreamstime.com)

By Josh Hall

baby steps

Red Deer’s unemployment rate improves to start 2026

Feb 6, 2026 | 11:54 AM

Red Deer’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.4 per cent in January, from 6.1 per cent in December.

Elsewhere around Alberta

• Lethbridge-Medicine Hat: 6.9%
• Edmonton: 6.6%
• Calgary: 6.5%
• Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake: 6.7%
• Camrose-Drumheller: 6.0%
• Red Deer: 5.4%
• Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River: 5.2%
• Province: 6.4% >> down from 6.7%

Alberta added a net 20,300 jobs overall from December to January, and is up 86,400 from January 2025. There were 41,800 full-time jobs added last month, but 21,400 part-time jobs were lost.

Year-over-year, 102,100 full-time jobs have been filled, while 15,700 part-time jobs have been lost, for a net positive of 86,400.

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The average weekly wage in Alberta is $1,419.21, up 3.0 per cent over the last year.

Alberta’s unemployment rate is middle of the pack, nationally speaking, and it’s just below the national rate of 6.5 per cent.

• Newfoundland and Labrador: 9.2%
• Prince Edward Island: 7.6%
• Ontario: 7.3%
• Nova Scotia: 6.9%
• New Brunswick: 6.7%
• Alberta: 6.4%
• Manitoba: 6.3%
• British Columbia: 6.1%
• Saskatchewan: 5.3%
• Quebec: 5.2%

This month’s report can be read in full here.