Alberta Labour Market Snapshot: August

Stats Canada has released the most recent labour force statistics for Alberta, here are the highlights:

• Alberta’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.4% in August 2012, down 0.2
percentage points from July 2012 and down 1.2 percentage points from the same month
last year. This rate, tied with Saskatchewan’s rate, was the lowest among all provinces.
The national rate was 7.3%, unchanged from the month before.

• The labour force increased by 200 people and employment increased by 3,900 from July
to August 2012.

• Between August 2011 and August 2012, employment grew by 2.1% or 43,300 in Alberta.
This employment increase accounted for 24.5% of Canada’s employment growth over the
same period.

• The unemployment rate of students aged 15 to 24 was 10.1% in August 2012 compared
to 14.0% a year ago.

• Edmonton’s rate of 4.5% and Calgary’s unemployment rate of 4.6% were ranked third
and fourth, respectively, among Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas, behind Kelowna’s
4.1% and Regina’s 4.2%.

• The following industries had the most employment increases in August from the previous
month: Forestry, Fishing, Mining, Oil and Gas, 4,800; Business, Building and Other
Support Services, 4,700; and Health Care and Social Assistance, 4,600.