Statistics Canada numbers show jobs gains of 10,100 from July to August in Saskatchewan, says the provincial government.
The government noted the 1.8 per cent month-to-month, seasonally adjusted employment increase in a release on Friday, which is ranked top among the provinces in terms of percentage change and above the national increase of 0.5 per cent.
The statement added that the province gained 16,800 jobs compared with the same time period last year, representing a three per cent increase.
“Strong job gains is a positive economic indicator that Saskatchewan is leading Canada’s economic recovery,” Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison stated in the release.
“With over 9,000 jobs posted on saskjobs.ca, employers across the province are looking for workers to fill positions, which shows confidence in our province’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Sectors that reported the largest improvements in terms of year-over-year gains were trades (14,900 jobs), health care and social assistance (6,800 jobs) and accommodation and food services (3,000 jobs).
The private sector was also up 18,900 jobs, a jump of nearly six per cent, along with female employment increasing by 11,500 jobs and youth employment up 8,800 jobs.
Off-reserve Indigenous employment gained 6,800 jobs, which is the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year increases, according to the government.
The government also pointed to a decrease in the province’s unemployment rate in August to seven per cent from 7.9 per cent a year ago. It’s also below the seasonally adjusted national average of 7.1 per cent.
Youth unemployment in August was 10.7 per cent, the third-lowest reported in the province and below the national average of 11.6 per cent.
Indigenous youth employment also moved up by over 56 per cent for the fifth consecutive month year-over-year.