Unemployment in oil-rich Alberta hits 9 per cent, highest in 22 years

With the worst downtown in Alberta’s energy sector and a 2-year long global oil price slump, the number of job seekers increased by 11,000 last month but another 13,000 jobs were lost.

The oil patch crash mostly affected the employment sector with more than 52,000 jobs lost in construction, manufacturing, transportation, mining, forestry, fishing, quarrying and undoubtedly the oil and gas industry in 2015. It is the fourth straight month when Calgary’s unemployment rate kept spiking.

According to Statistics Canada, this is the highest rate among major Canadian cities and Calgary’s unemployment rate has held for the past three months on record. Statistics Canada report says, almost 19, 400 part-time jobs were added and 8,700 full-time jobs were shed in November.

It is first time in 30 years, that Alberta’s unemployment rate became higher than Quebec. British Columbia was the only province that added almost 14, 100 jobs in February. Data also showed that self-employment increased by 3,000 last month and full-time employee jobs fell by 5,300.

According to forecasters, British Columbia and Ontario will lead the job growth in Canada this year. Albertans still need a ray of hope and jobs to get back to the market.

(Reporting by Mungli Banerjee)