The unemployment rate for western Alberta went up last month. Statistics Canada says the economic region that houses Grande Prairie and Peace River was sitting at 5.1 per cent in February.
That’s up from 4.8 per cent in January but down from the 5.3 per cent the rate was at the same time last year. Red Deer still has the lowest rate of unemployment in Alberta at 4.7 per cent while the province’s overall rate is 7.3 per cent. It was 6.8 per cent in January.
Meanwhile, Canada’s unemployment rate isn’t budging despite job growth in February. Statistics Canada reports 56,000 new jobs were created last month, with a majority in full-time work. However, it wasn’t enough to move the mark on the current 5.8 per cent unemployment rate.