Sask. added 30K jobs from May to June

In this Aug. 15, 2019, file photo a "Now hiring" sign is displayed on the front door of a Staples store. Quebec's labour shortage could be helped by hiring those with a criminal record, the CCCJA says.(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

REGINA — Saskatchewan saw an increase of over 30,000 jobs as the province’s economy reopened.

According to data from Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan saw an increase of 30,300 jobs, or six per cent, from May to June.

The province ranked fourth highest in month-to month job growth, ahead of the national average growth rate of 5.8 per cent.

Saskatchewan is now at 92.6 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels of employment in February.

Unemployment in the province in June was 11.6 per cent, down from 12.5 per cent in May, and slightly below the national unemployment average of 12.3 per cent.

In the first half of 2020, Saskatchewan’s urban housing starts also had the highest year-over-year-growth in Western Canada. An increase of 23.2 was the second highest among all provinces, compared to the same period in 2019. Across Canada, urban housing starts declined by 6.5 per cent over the same period.