(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

Jobs

Different perspectives on Sask. job stats

Jun 6, 2020 | 8:00 AM

The Government of Saskatchewan says the latest employment figures from Statistics Canada, as bleak as they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic, put this province above most others. However, the opposition New Democrats think otherwise.

In a media release, the government said the unemployment rate for May of 12.5 per cent (seasonally adjusted) was the second lowest among the provinces. The national jobless rate is 13.7 per cent.

It added the province gained 600 more jobs compared to April.

Immigration and Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said the Saskatchewan economy was on the rebound.

“Looking forward, we are seeing positive economic news in Saskatchewan, including announcements about helium and lithium recently,” Harrison said. “These new investments will bring jobs and investment to communities across the province and will help lift our economy out of the current challenges facing markets globally.”

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However, the NDP said Saskatchewan’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is amongst the weakest in Canada, calling the monthly increase of 600 jobs or 0.1 per cent (seasonally adjusted) the second worst in Canada.

“New Democrats have urged Premier Moe and this Sask. Party government to protect jobs and small businesses, but clearly not enough has been done,” NDP Leader Ryan Meili said in a media release. “We know that Saskatchewan’s economy was already shrinking before COVID-19 and now the Premier’s lack of action to put Saskatchewan workers and businesses first is making things worse.”

In the large region that Stats Canada calls Prince Albert and Northern, the jobless rate was at 9.4 per cent. A total of 89,900 people were employed. That compares to the 98,000 people employed in May 2019, when the jobless rate was 6.6 per cent.

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panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow