October was a strong month for jobs in Canada, with over 35,000 gained nationwide. Northeast Alberta was along for the ride as well.
The region saw its unemployment rate drop from 7.3 percent in September all the way to 6.9 last month. Regional unemployment was at 9.3 percent this time last year.
Alberta gained 12,000 jobs in October, dropping the unemployment rate down one point to 7.8 from 7.9. The province’s unemployment rate is still much higher than the national average of 6.3. Alberta’s unemployment rate is the same as New Brunswick’s and higher than any other province outside of the Maritimes.
“The unemployment rate in Alberta has not fully rebounded to what it was in the fall of 2014, just prior to the oil-related downturn,” said Statistics Canada in their report.