Red Deer region unemployment rate rises slightly in August

The national unemployment rate at 6.4 per cent was unchanged compared to the previous month.

Key highlights per the Government of Alberta:

There were 2,661,100 people employed in Alberta, an increase of 92,400 (+3.6 per cent) compared to August 2025 and a decrease of 8,900 from the previous month. Nationally, employment decreased by 41,700 (-0.2 per cent) from the previous month.
Alberta’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.8 per cent (-0.2 percentage points), higher than the national rate of 6.4 per cent.
Month-over-month, employment increased in the private sector (+8,700) but decreased in the public sector (-12,600) and among the self-employed (-5,000).
Full-time employment decreased by 5,800 and part-time employment decreased by 3,000 from the previous month.
The largest monthly employment gains were in wholesale and retail trade (+10,400); health care and social assistance (+5,700); and business, building and other support services (+2,600).
The largest monthly employment decreases were in accommodation and food services (-8,800); educational services (-7,700); and utilities (-5,600).

INDIGENOUS STATISTICS:

In August 2026, the unemployment rate for Indigenous peoples living off reserve in Alberta was 14.4 per cent. This is a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from July 2026 but an increase of 3.9 percentage points from the same month last year.
Employment increased for Indigenous women (+2,900) but decreased for Indigenous men (-400) between July 2026 and August 2026.
Between July 2026 and August 2026, employment rose for Indigenous youth (15 to 24 years old) (+1,000), core-aged Indigenous workers (25 to 54 years old) (+300), and for older Indigenous workers (55+ years old) (+1,200).

by Ian Gustafson