Alberta's jobless rate shrinks slightly in May
Statistics Canada released its May 2023 Labour Force Survey on Friday, which showed Alberta's unemployment rate dipping to 5.7 per cent, down from 5.9 per cent in April.
Statistics Canada noted that both Alberta and British Columbia experienced wildfires during the week examined for the survey – May 14 to 20 – and both saw little overall employment change.
Calgary's unemployment rate was largely unchanged in May, sitting at 6.3 per cent, down just one-tenth of a percentage point from the month prior.
Calgary was, along with Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont., tied for the third-highest jobless rate in Canada among the 36 metropolitan areas surveyed. Only Windsor, Ont. (6.5 per cent) and Peterborough, Ont. (7.1 per cent) were higher.
Edmonton's jobless rate was largely unchanged, climbing to six per cent from 5.7 per cent in April.
Lethbridge, meanwhile, climbed four-tenths of a percentage point to 5.3 per cent.
Nationally, the unemployment rate ticked higher to 5.2 per cent in May, marking the first increase since August 2022.
Meanwhile, overall employment was little changed as the economy lost a modest 17,000 jobs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'Reconciliation is a lifelong experience': Gov. Gen. Mary Simon reflects on Truth and Reconciliation
On the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says that while she acknowledges the time it takes to fulfill calls to action, she also understands the frustrations that progress is too slow, and she feels 'we should speed things up.'
WATCH LIVE Nearly half of Canadians have no plans to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
A new survey found that 48 per cent of Canadians say they won’t be taking any specific action to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
WATCH LIVE 'Stories of resilience and survival': Indigenous-led tourism is one way to support communities in Canada
A growing number of businesses popping up across Canada are offering unique experiences that invite tourists to dive into the history, language and culture of Indigenous communities.
W5 Ferraris worth nearly $1M seized from Edmonton men linked to Pivot Airlines drug-smuggling scandal
Two Edmonton men at the centre of an international cocaine-trafficking scandal that led to the detainment of a Canadian airline crew in the Dominican Republic last year are back in the spotlight. They're facing numerous charges after police seized a pair of stolen Ferraris worth roughly $1 million.
Almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh's people have left, Armenia's government says
An ethnic Armenian exodus has nearly emptied Nagorno-Karabakh of residents since Azerbaijan attacked and ordered the breakaway region's militants to disarm, the Armenian government said Saturday.
Putin marks anniversary of annexation of Ukrainian regions as drones attack overnight
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday insisted that the residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed a year ago 'made their choice -- to be with their Fatherland.'
What do Indigenous Peoples across Canada really need and want?
The federal Liberal government has made a lot of promises to Indigenous Peoples. But do those promises line up with what communities on the ground really want and need, or reflect their diversity?
Canada’s greenhouse gas emission up 2.1 per cent from last year due to oil and gas production, cold winter: report
New data from the Canadian Climate Institute shows that emissions from the oil and gas industry and buildings continued to climb in the previous year, undercutting Canada's overall emissions reduction progress.
When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other U.S. cities are also vulnerable
Hours before devastating fires scorched the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, Kyle Ellison labored to save his rental house in Kula, a rural mountain town 24 miles away, from a different blaze.