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By Shaun Penner
Unemployment

Grande Prairie region still has lowest unemployment rate in province

Sep 6, 2019 | 10:43 AM

The region that includes Grande Prairie continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the province.

The area of Banff, Jasper, Rocky Mountain House, Athabasca, Peace River and the Swan City had an unemployment rate of 5.4%, which is a slight increase from the 5.2% rate in July.

That rate is about two per cent lower than most other areas of the province for the month of August:

  • Edmonton: 7.8%
  • Calgary: 7.4%
  • Red Deer: 7.3%
  • Lethbridge-Medicine Hat: 7.1%
  • Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake: 6.3%
  • Camrose-Drumheller: 5.6%

Province wide, the unemployment rate jumped to 7.2% from 7% in July. It is also up from August of 2018, when it sat at 6.7%.

Nationwide, Statistics Canada reports 81,000 jobs were added in the month of August, most of which are classified as part-time. Canada’s unemployment rate held firm at 5.7%.

by Shaun Penner