Unemployment in western Alberta dropped significantly last month. In September, the rate was 5.2 per cent, down from 5.9 per cent in August. It was 5.8 per cent in September 2017.
At the same time, Alberta’s unemployment rate increased. It was seven per cent in September, up from 6.7 per cent the month before. It’s still much lower than a year ago when it was 7.8 per cent.
The country overall has bounced back from a big job dip over the summer. After shedding just more than 50,000 jobs in August, Statistics Canada reports more than 63,000 new jobs were added in September.
The growth dropped the unemployment rate to 5.9 per cent. Analysts predict the boost will likely confirm a Bank of Canada decision to raise the interest rate this month.