CALGARY -- The recent trend of increased employment numbers in Canada over recent months came to an abrupt halt in November, with Alberta among the provinces experiencing significant declines.

According to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey, November 2019, employment fell in Alberta by 18,000 in November, with notable drops in the natural resources sector as well as wholesale and retail trade.

Approximately 2.34 million Albertans were employed in November, a decrease of more than 18,000 compared to the previous month.

The employment numbers for November 2019 in Alberta are nearly identical to those of November 2018.

The unemployment rate in the province increased by 0.5 percentage points in November to 7.2 per cent.

"This may be the beginning of some bad news," said Sherry Cooper, chief economist at Dominion Lending Centres. The employment numbers for November 2019 in Alberta are nearly identical to those of November, 2018.

Other economy watchers say it's a sign of a weak economy if jobless numbers continue to rise.

"Be a little careful putting too much weight on just one monthly number," said Craig Alexander, chief economist at Deloitte Canada.

StatsCan reports a national unemployment rate of 5.9 per cent in November, an increase of 0.4 percentage points.

Staffing specialists say it continues to be difficult to match job-seekers with employers.

"There's a lot of quality talent out there right now, there's a lot of top dogs in their organizations and fields that are unemployed right now," said Cristina Shultz of About Staffing in Calgary.

She says highlighting adaptability and transferable skills is essential in the current job market.

Declines in employment also occurred in British Columbia and Quebec.