Unemployment in Alberta jumps to 7.5 per cent in September

Alberta's jobless rate is now the second highest in Canada.

Statistics Canada released its September 2024 Labour Force Survey on Friday, which showed Alberta's unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to sit at 7.5 per cent.

Newfoundland and Labrador was the only province with a higher unemployment rate, sitting at 10 per cent in September. To the west, British Columbia's jobless rate last month was six per cent, and to the east, Saskatchewan sat at 5.7 per cent.

Alberta Central chief economist Charles St-Arnaud says the provincial economy is picking up steam, but it’s not strong enough to warrant wide-scale hiring. 

"We have some positive tailwind from population growth and high energy prices, but it’s not enough yet,” he told CTV News. 

Edmonton has Canada's highest jobless rate

Edmonton's unemployment rate continued to climb in September, hitting an even nine per cent – the highest of any of the 36 cities surveyed.

Calgary remained largely unchanged in September, with unemployment dropping one-tenth of a percentage point to sit at 7.4 per cent.

"Overall, continued slack in the labour market remains unsurprising following the Bank of Canada’s consecutive interest rate cuts this year. But with ATB projecting 2.5 per cent real GDP growth for Alberta in 2024, and a consistently declining unemployment rate, Calgary is weathering this easing better than other cities in Canada," said Kate Koplovich, director of strategy at Calgary Economic Development, in a Friday news release.

In Lethbridge, the jobless rate climbed to 5.1 per cent in September from 4.9 per cent in August.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 6.5 per cent last month, down from 6.6 per cent in August. It's the first time Canada's jobless rate has dropped since January

The Labour Force Survey examined the week of Sept. 15 to 21.