Canada’s national unemployment rate has hit its lowest mark in two years Friday, and remains relatively stable in southern Alberta after some tumultuous times. Statistics Canada’s July labour report delivered unexpectedly strong results Friday. Nationally, unemployment fell to 6.4 per cent for its lowest number in two years, as the country gained 75,000 jobs. “People are more confident,” said Travis O’Rouke, the president and CCCO of Hays Canada. “People are out there. People are spending money. This is not a fluke. We’re going to see this in August. We’re going to see this in September. We have hit an employment surge in the great White North.” In southern Alberta, the jobless rate rose slightly, to 5.6 per cent in July, up from 5.5 per cent in June. Economic Development Lethbridge officials say the slight increase could suggest the local economy is starting to level out. “Certainly, if we take a look at where things were now compared to last fall or winter, we see circumstances now that are much more favorable from local economic conditions perspective than what we saw back then,” said Mike Prociw. “The unemployment rate at just north of eight per cent back last fall. So where we sit today at 5.6 per cent is certainly much lower than that.” The types of jobs residents are finding employment in is also a sign for optimism. Growth in good paying sectors such as professional services and others could have positive spinoff effects for the local economy, says Prociw. “It’s fairly broad based across different areas, which is a positive,” he said. “It’s not too heavily concentrated in one area. And growth along those lines is a positive development, so that’s something we’re really happy to see.” Still, the region has some issues to contend with. A high youth unemployment rate as well as impending tariffs could negate some of those recent games. “The provincial figure remains more than double what the actual unemployment rate is across Alberta,” said Prociw. “So that’s still not the best news. There’s still a lot of uncertainty lingering, given the prospect of additional tariffs that are scheduled to take effect later this month.”
