Edmonton's jobless rate holds at 6.9% in September, highest among Alberta cities
Statistics Canada data show Alberta's provincial unemployment rate eased to 6.4 per cent last month, even as Edmonton's figure remained unchanged.
Why it matters
The figures show Edmonton's job market lagging other major Alberta cities even as the province's overall unemployment rate improved.
Statistics Canada's latest labour force figures put Canada's national unemployment rate at 6.5 per cent in September. Alberta's provincial rate was 6.4 per cent, down from 6.8 per cent in August.
Among Alberta cities, Edmonton posted the highest jobless rate at 6.9 per cent, unchanged from the previous month. Calgary's rate fell to 6.3 per cent from 6.7 per cent, Red Deer dropped to 6.3 per cent from 6.8 per cent, and Lethbridge edged down to 5.5 per cent from 5.6 per cent.
The city-level figures are seasonally adjusted three-month moving averages, and Statistics Canada cautions they can fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples.
Nationally, Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest provincial unemployment rate at 9.1 per cent, while Manitoba had the lowest at 5.0 per cent.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.