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Alberta flag (Image Credit: (c) Fintastique | Dreamstime.com)
By David Opinko

Alberta unemployment flat, despite drop in full-time jobs

Mar 13, 2026 | 8:41 AM

Statistics Canada is reporting a slight decrease in employment in Alberta this past month, but the type of work Albertans have is changing.

In February 2026, 6.3 per cent of the eligible workforce was out of work, falling by 0.1 per cent compared to January. That is 0.4 per cent better than the national average of 6.7 per cent.

Employment overall decreased by 1,800, but is still up by 85,000 from the same time last year.

The number of people working full-time jobs fell by 17,300, but those employed in part-time positions grew by 15,400.

The average weekly wage in the province was $1,420.41 in February, growing by 0.1 per cent over the last month and by 3.2 per cent annually.

Healthcare and social assistance had the biggest increase in employment in February, adding 12,500 positions. Other sectors experiencing growth include utilities (+3,500), transportation and warehousing (+3,200), and information, culture and recreation (+2,600).

On the other hand, some industries reduced their workforces, such as wholesale and retail trade (-6,300), professional, scientific and technical services (-5,700), and “other services (except public administration)” (-4,700).

The unemployment rates were unchanged in two southern Alberta regions this past month (Lethbridge-Medicine Hat and Calgary), while moving slightly in Edmonton, as well as Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River.

Red Deer was the only region in the province to experience a large decrease in its jobless rate in February, while Camrose-Drumheller was the only area to see its rate increase by more than a full percentage point.

  • Camrose-Drumheller 7.4% unemployment (up 1.4%)
  • Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake: 7.2% unemployment (up 0.5%)
  • Lethbridge-Medicine Hat: 6.9% unemployment (unchanged)
  • Edmonton: 6.8% unemployment (down 0.2%)
  • Calgary: 6.5% unemployment (unchanged)
  • Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River: 5.5% unemployment (up 0.3%)
  • Red Deer: 4.6% unemployment (down 0.8%)

You can find the full provincial employment statistics on the Government of Alberta’s website, while the national picture is on Statistics Canada.

READ MORE: Canada lost 84,000 jobs in February, pushing unemployment rate to 6.7%: StatCan

by David Opinko