Alberta’s unemployment rate remained virtually unchanged last month as businesses continued to struggle through the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though dining outside on restaurant patios remained an option, that too will no longer be allowed starting Sunday at 11:59 p.m., and retail is now capped at 10 per cent capacity.
Nationally, Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 8.1 per cent in April from 7.5 per cent in March.
Statistics Canada said the economy lost 207,000. The losses nearly wiped out the 303,000 jobs added in March when the economy outpaced expectations and put the country about half a million jobs below pre-pandemic levels.
Edmonton and Calgary unemployment
Calgary recorded an unemployment rate of 9.3 per cent in April, down 0.7 percentage points from the month prior when it sat at 10 per cent.
Calgary Economic Development’s vice president of marketing and communications said it was “encouraging” to see Calgary’s unemployment below double digits, “but we know there is still a long, bumpy road ahead in our economic recovery.”
“We are continuing to work with our stakeholders and business and community leaders on implementing the economic strategy, Calgary in the New Economy, to ensure a successful future for Calgary,” Brad Parry said in a statement.
Edmonton’s unemployment rate also fell, dropping to 10.5 per cent in April from 11.6 per cent in March.
Though the jobless rate in Alberta’s capital continued its downward trend, it recorded one of the highest unemployment rates of the 34 metropolitan areas surveyed in April, with only Ontario’s St. Catharines-Niagara area (11.7) and Windsor (10.6) sitting higher.
A look at Calgary and Edmonton’s unemployment rates amid COVID-19
April 2020
↑ Calgary: 10.8 per cent
↑ Edmonton: 10.0 per cent
May 2020
↑ Calgary: 13.4 per cent
↑ Edmonton: 13.6 per cent
June 2020
↑ Calgary: 15.6 per cent
↑ Edmonton: 15.7 per cent
July 2020
↓ Calgary: 15.5 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 15.0 per cent
August 2020
↓ Calgary: 14.4 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 13.6 per cent
September 2020
↓ Calgary: 12.6 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 12.6 per cent
October 2020
↓ Calgary: 11.3 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 12.0 per cent
November 2020
↓ Calgary: 10.7 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 11.3 per cent
December 2020
↓ Calgary: 10.5 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 11.4 per cent
↑ Calgary: 10.6 per cent
↑ Edmonton: 11.9 per cent
February 2021
– Calgary: 10.6 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 11.6 per cent
March 2021
↓ Calgary: 10.0 per cent
↓ Edmonton: 11.2 per cent
April 2021
↓ Calgary: 9.3
↓ Edmonton: 10.5
Comments