Calgary's unemployment rate is now the highest in Canada

A stock photo of a help wanted sign in a business window. (Pexels/Tim Mossholder)

Though unemployment rates throughout Alberta remained little changed last month, Calgary now has the dubious honour of being the city with the highest jobless numbers in all of Canada.

Released on Friday, Statistics Canada's February 2023 Labour Force Survey shows Calgary's unemployment rate sitting at 6.6 per cent, the same as the month prior.

However, with numbers dropping in the other metropolitan areas surveyed, Calgary now has the largest jobless rate nationally.

In Edmonton, unemployment dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to sit at 5.4 per cent in February, while in Lethbridge the jobless rate sat at 4.2 per cent compared to 4.1 per cent in January.

Alberta's unemployment rate in February was 5.8 per cent compared to 6.0 per cent the month prior.

"Employment in the province is expected to grow at a solid pace this year," said Minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development Brian Jean in a statement.

"Building off strong job growth in January, almost 11,000 more Albertans had full-time jobs in February. With nearly two million people employed full time, more Albertans have full-time jobs today than at any point in Alberta’s history."Nationally, the unemployment rate was unchanged at five per cent.

Statistics Canada says the economy added 22,000 jobs in February, with employment up in the private sector.

The bulk of the job gains were made in health care and social assistance, public administration and utilities. Meanwhile, jobs were lost in business, building and other support services.