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

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:

  July 2016 – 8.6 per cent (Calgary’s unemployment rate becomes worst in Canada)

  August 2016 – 9 per cent

  September 2016 – 9.5 per cent

 October 2016 – 10.2 per cent

 November 2016 – 10.3 per cent

 December 2016 – 10.2 per cent

 January 2017 – 9.8 per cent

 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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