Sask. suffers job losses in January, says survey

SASKATOON — There were 2,900 fewer people working in Saskatchewan in January than there were the previous month, the latest Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey says.

But that is still 5,500 more than were employed in January 2013, as 550,800 people were employed in Saskatchewan during January 2014.

Unadjusted data shows agricultural industry employed 42,300 people in January 2014, up 200 from the December 2013 level and 1,400 more than the January 2013 agricultural employment level of 40,900. Non-agricultural employment was 508,500 people in January 2014. This is a decrease of 3,100 from the December 2013 level of 511,600, but 4,100 more than January 2013.

The Saskatchewan seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2014 was 4.3 per cent, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the December 2013 rate of 3.9 per cent and 0.3 percentage points higher than the January 2013 rate of 4.0 per cent.

“Once again our province is proving that we have more people working in Saskatchewan than ever before and that the momentum from 2013 has clearly sustained itself,” Economy Minister Bill Boyd said in a news release.

Saskatoon had the lowest unemployment rate among major cities in the country at 4.3 per cent (tied with Quebec City), with Regina next at 4.4 per cent.

The province’s youth unemployment was 7.5 per cent in January — also the lowest in the country.

NDP deputy leader Trent Wotherspoon said he is concerned that the unemployment rate is moving in the wrong direction and that quality jobs are being lost.

“We saw the layoffs before Christmas at PCS, here in Regina we see good paying head office jobs out of Agrium or Viterra being moved out of the province and other layoffs occurring in the potash sector,” Wotherspoon said, adding the cost of living is causing families to make tough decisions.

“We are hearing from more and more Saskatchewan families that the reality is they are having to work harder and harder, and in some cases having to pick up extra employment just to keep pace with the quality of life and cost of living increases in this province.”

Saskatchewan’s labour force increased by 8,100 to 576,500 people in January 2014 from January 2013. There were 25,700 people unemployed in Saskatchewan during January 2014, 2,600 more than in January 2013.

The provincial government said the province’s unemployment rate remained the lowest in the country for the 13th month in a row.

When looking at different sectors of the economy on a year-over-year basis, job growth was up in utilities (1,700); business, building and other support services (2,100) and transportation and warehousing (4,100).

Jobs declined in sectors such as public administration (1,800), trade (1,600) and forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas (1,300).