April’s Labour Force survey showed Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate was higher than the national average for the first time since February 2020. .Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate went up from 5% in March to 5.5% in April as the provincial economy dropped another 900 jobs, taking the two month total to 5,400 jobs lost..Of the major cities in the province, Regina had the highest unemployment rate at 6%..The national unemployment rate dropped to a historic low of 5.2% and added 15,300 jobs. However, the Canadian economy was expected to add 55,000 jobs in April..Aleana Young, opposition critic for Jobs and Economy, responded to the job numbers for the NDP..“Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate increased by a whopping 10% to 5.5% last month,” said Young. .“This is far and away the largest increase in Canada, and its effects are being felt by families already struggling to make ends meet in this cost of living crisis.”.The Saskatchewan government responded to the Western Standard in an email comparing employment statistics year-over-year..“Job numbers released by Statistics Canada for April 2022 show Saskatchewan added 18,000 jobs compared to April 2021. Full-time employment increased by 26,200 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 5.5%, down from 6.5% a year ago,” said the government..Young criticized the government for the economy losing jobs and taxes going up. .“In Saskatchewan, everything that should be down is up and everything that should be up is down,” said Young. .“In terms of jobs and unemployment, Canada is moving in one direction and Saskatchewan in another. The Saskatchewan Party has proven time and again that they are not the party of economic growth.”.One area of economic growth within Saskatchewan was female employment..“Female employment hit an all-time high at 266,900, with an increase of 9,100 jobs," said the government. ."In April 2022, Saskatchewan’s seasonally adjusted employment of 576,600 exceeded its pre-COVID employment level of 574,100 in February 2020.”
