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Calgary’s unemployment rate continues downward slide, still highest in Canada

A a shopper walks past a store with a "Help Wanted" sign in the window.
A a shopper walks past a store with a "Help Wanted" sign in the window. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Although Calgary’s unemployment rate continues to decline, it remained the highest in Canada in February, according to Statistics Canada.

New numbers released on Friday show the jobless rate in the oil and gas hub dropped to 9.4 per cent last month compared with 9.8 per cent in January – the worst among the 33 metropolitan areas surveyed.

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February marked Calgary’s third straight month where the jobless rate dropped, but eighth consecutive month with Canada’s highest unemployment rate.

A look at Calgary’s unemployment rate history:

U+2191.svg  July 2016 – 8.6 per cent (Calgary’s unemployment rate becomes worst in Canada)U+2191.svg  August 2016 – 9 per centU+2191.svg  September 2016 – 9.5 per centU+2191.svg October 2016 – 10.2 per centU+2191.svg November 2016 – 10.3 per cent

U+2193.svg December 2016 – 10.2 per centU+2193.svg January 2017 – 9.8 per centU+2193.svg February 2017 – 9.4 per cent

In Alberta, the province-wide unemployment rate fell by 0.5 percentage points in February to 8.3 per cent as fewer people searched for work.

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Statistics Canada reported the national unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent in February from 6.8 per cent in January.

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