The province of Alberta continues to push Canada’s economic recovery by posting its fifth straight month of employment gains in September.
According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, Alberta gained 8,600 jobs from August to September, and lost 0.2 percent unemployment. The jobs gained were a result of new full-time positions – the province lost 12,800 part-time jobs but gained 21,400 full-time ones to amply make up for the loss.
“Job growth in Alberta continues to outpace other provinces, with employment up for five straight months and 4.8 per cent in the past year,” said a new report by BMO Financial Group. “Private-sector job growth in the province was up 8.8 per cent year-over-year in September, the strongest growth since 1981 and even outpacing growth seen at the height of the energy boom in 2007.”
Alberta continues to fuel the country’s recovery, along with the province of Saskatchewan which has itself undergone strong growth resulting in the country’s lowest unemployment rate at 4.6 percent.
Industries leading the recovery out West include primary resourcing (such as forestry, farming, oil and gas), as well as transportation and technical sectors.
Overall Canada surpassed job expectations for September. There was a growth in employment of 60,900 and the unemployment rate fell from 7.3 to 7.1 percent. However, economic analysts warn against too much optimism, saying that the numbers for the month likely reflect the back-to-school trend more than an actual economic recovery.
Source: Edmonton Journal