Jobless rate falls as fewer seek work

Saskatchewan’s economy added 1,500 jobs over the last 12 months, with an increase in full-time employment offsetting a decrease in part-time positions across the province, according to Statistics Canada.

At the same time, the number of people working or looking for work in the province declined by 5,400; overall, the unemployment rate fell to six per cent from 7.1 per cent in January 2017, the government data bureau reported Friday.

In an email, statistician and Sask. Trends Monitor publisher Doug Elliott flagged the shrinking labour force — the fact that more people are out of work and not looking — as a concern.

“The unemployed are clearly dropping out of the labour market altogether,” said Elliott, who has previously attributed the declining unemployment rate to workers leaving the job market rather than to economic growth.

On an industry-by-industry basis, the largest declines came in agriculture, which shed 3,800 jobs over the last year, and professional and scientific services, where the number of positions dropped by 3,700.

Two labour sectors — accommodation and food services, and public administration — posted the biggest gains, at 2,300 jobs and 2,000 jobs respectively, while most other major sectors stayed relatively stable over the last year, StatsCan reported.

In a statement, the provincial government said the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent, the second-lowest among all provinces and well below the national rate of 5.9 per cent, is good news for Saskatchewan.

“This is definitely a positive indicator that Saskatchewan’s economy is on the rebound,” Minister of Immigration and Career Training Jeremy Harrison said in a statement, adding “2018 is looking to be a good year.”

The unemployed are clearly dropping out of the labour market altogether.