Graphic courtesy of Statistics Canada/Alberta Government

By Liam Verster

Labour Force Statistics

Grande Prairie economic area sees slight improvement in labour force

Dec 4, 2020 | 9:25 AM

The economic region that includes Grande Prairie and the Peace Country saw its unemployment rate decrease slightly. However, the provincial rate is still above the national average after Alberta’s unemployment figures rose in November.

The Banff – Jasper – Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca – Grande Prairie – Peace River economic region saw its unemployment rate decrease from 10.8 per cent in October to 10.3 per cent in November. While the rate did drop, it was still much higher on a year-over-year basis, as the unemployment rate in November 2019 was recorded at 5.7 per cent.

Grande Prairie and area sees slight improvement to labour force

While there was an improvement in the area that includes the Peace Country, the rest of the province did not fare as well.

The labour force decreased by 1,600 in November, the number of employed Albertans fell by 10,800, and the provincial unemployment rate rose from 10.7 in October to 11.1 per cent in November.

Event

Free Community Barbecue!

Jun 07, 2024

Seniors' Event

Join us for a FREE Seniors' Movie Night!

May 13, 2024

Plan Ahead

Why Would You Pre-Plan Your Funeral?

Apr 03, 2024

Unemployment has affected both youth and adults in Alberta. The unemployment rates for adults over the age of 25 rose from 8.9 in October to 9.2 per cent in November. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for youths age 15 to 24 increased from 23 per cent in October to 23.6 in November.

The figures from Statistics Canada shows that women were the hardest hit in November, with unemployment rates rising for both youth and adult females, while the numbers also dipped in the male categories.

Graphic courtesy of Statistics Canada/Alberta Government

The increase means Alberta now has the second highest unemployment rate when compared to other provinces. The only other province with a higher rate is Newfoundland and Labrador, where the unemployment rate is 12.2 per cent. Alberta’s rate is also much higher than the national average, which was recorded at 8.5 per cent in November, down by 0.4 per cent on a month-over-month basis.

Despite the rise in unemployment, Alberta still has one of the highest employment rates in Canada at 61.8 per cent, second only to Saskatchewan’s rate of 62.7 per cent. The national employment rate for November was 59.5 per cent.

Graphic courtesy of Statistics Canada/Alberta Government