Graphic courtesy of Statistics Canada and the Alberta Government

By Liam Verster

Labour Force Statistics

Grande Prairie and area’s unemployment rate drops to 10.8% in October

Nov 6, 2020 | 9:39 AM

Figures from Statistics Canada shows the Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca – Grande Prairie – Peace River economic region’s unemployment rate dipped from 11.2 per cent in September to 10.8 per cent in October. However, the rate is still much higher than the 5.8 per cent recorded in October 2019.

The change of 0.4 per cent is one of the smallest dips in Alberta, as Wood Buffalo – Cold Lake’s unemployment rate saw a 1.5 per cent decrease to 9.9 per cent, Edmonton’s unemployment dropped 1.4 per cent to 11.6, Calgary’s rates declined by 1.2 per cent to 11.3, and Red Deer’s figures dropped a full point to 11.1 per cent.

However, the change in the Peace Region is much better than those in Lethbridge – Medicine Hat and Camrose – Drumheller, where unemployment increased in October.

Graphic courtesy of Statistics Canada and the Alberta Government

Meanwhile, the number of employed Albertans increase by over 27,000 in October, and the provincial unemployment rate was recorded at 10.7 per cent. That’s an improvement of a full percentage point from September, though is still much higher than the 6.7 per cent unemployment rate recorded in October 2019.

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The figures from Statistics Canada also show that unemployment for both youths and adults made gains in October, though the changes were very slight.

The figures show that 10 per cent of adult males and 7.5 per cent of adult females are unemployed, which is down from 11.2 (M) and 8.1 (M) recorded in September. In total, 8.9 per cent of adults over the age of 25 were unemployed in Alberta in October 2020.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 saw slight decreases, but the figures are still very high for both demographics. 23.4 percent of male youths were unemployed in October, down from 24.8 in September, while female youths’ unemployment decreased from 25 per cent in September to 22.5 percent in October. Statistics Canada says that 23 per cent of all youth in Alberta were unemployed in October.

The provincial employment rate increased slightly to 62.1 per cent in October, which is tied as second highest in the country and is above the national average of 59.4 per cent. However, the Alberta’s unemployment rate of 10.7 is also the second highest in the country, and much higher that Canada’s average of 8.9 per cent.

Graphic courtesy of Statistics Canada and the Alberta Government