Saskatchewan records first drop in monthly employment since March: StatsCan

Saskatchewan's monthly job numbers fell by 5,700 or one per cent in July, the first decline for the province since March, according to Statistics Canada's latest labour force survey.

About 5,200 of the losses were full-time positions and 500 were part time, according to the report released on Friday. 

Saskatchewan's construction, healthcare and manufacturing sectors all lost at least 1,000 jobs, while educational services added nearly 4,000 jobs. 

The report showed Saskatchewan's monthly unemployment rate rose to 5.1 per cent in July. 

Despite the increase, Saskatchewan still has the third lowest provincial unemployment rate and continues to be below the national rate, which rose slightly in July to 5.5 per cent.

Manitoba lost 6,400 jobs in July. British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Quebec had slight declines. Alberta, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador all added jobs and Ontario held steady.

Saskatchewan's Aleanna Young, the Opposition NDP jobs and economy critic, said the most recent employment numbers are concerning and she blamed the provincial government for the job losses. 

"Unemployment is up, jobs are down and during a generational cost of living crisis when affordability is top of mind, regardless of where you are in the province, what business owner you talk to, what door you knock on, this is the last thing that people need," Young told reporters.

Saskatchewan's job growth has been poor since Scott Moe became premier in 2018, she said.

According to the Statistics Canada, there were 2,100 or 0.4 per cent more jobs in Saskatchewan in July compared with the same period a year ago. 

The provincial government was not immediately available comment.