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By Curtis Galbraith

Labour Market

Area that includes the Peace records Alberta’s lowest unemployment rate in January

Feb 6, 2026 | 2:30 PM

The area that takes in the Peace Country had the lowest unemployment rate in Alberta in January.

Statistics Canada says the rate was at 5.2 per cent for the area that takes in all of northwestern Alberta, plus Banff, Jasper and Rocky Mountain House.

Red Deer had the second-lowest unemployment rate at 5.4 per cent, while the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat area had the highest at 6.9 per cent.

Across Alberta, the unemployment rate was at 6.4 per cent in January, down from 6.7 per cent in December.

Stats. Can. says Alberta’s labour force grew by 13,300 people while the number of unemployed dropped by 7100.

The biggest monthly employment growth came in construction, followed by finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing, followed by health care and social assistance, and agriculture.

Sales and service jobs grew the most from the year before.

The full report can be read here.