Unemployment rate in Alberta steady in February, Calgary sees notable drop

Canadian jobs data, released Friday, is sharing details on how uncertainty over U.S. tariffs is affecting the economy. Mason DePatie reports.

Alberta’s unemployment rate remained steady last month, while Calgary saw a noteworthy drop.

Statistics Canada released its January 2025 Labour Force Survey on Friday, which showed Alberta’s jobless rate sitting at 6.7, the same as the month prior and comparable to the nation’s rate of 6.6 per cent.

It leaves Alberta sitting in the middle of the pack compared to other provinces, four of which had higher numbers.

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Red Deer remains the Canadian city with the highest jobless rate, sitting at 9.6 per cent in February.

Calgary, meanwhile, saw a significant drop in unemployment, dipping to 7.3 per cent in February from 7.7 per cent the month prior.

In a Friday news release, Calgary Economic Development (CED) noted that Calgary has maintained the highest labour force participation rate (71.8%) as the city continues to absorb workers into the labour force. Calgary has also seen the largest decline in unemployment rates across major Canadian cities.

“We’re closely monitoring the impact of potential trade disruptions and shifting interest rate policies on business confidence, investment and job creation for the city in the coming months,” said Afiba Nyamekye, director of data and Intelligence at CED.

Edmonton remained steady, slipping a single tenth of a percentage point to sit at 7.1 per cent, while Lethbridge slipped to an even five per cent from 5.2 per cent the month before.

The February Labour Force Survey examined the week of Feb. 9 to 15, during which time United States President Donald Trump signed executive orders to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., including Canadian products, starting March 4.