Released on March 12, 1999
Economic and Co-operative Development Minister Janice MacKinnon todaysaid that a diversified economy is helping to offset job losses in
agriculture, resulting in a small decline in employment figures from
February 1998 to February 1999.
"If we take the agriculture numbers out of the report, Saskatchewan
actually created over 6,179 new jobs," MacKinnon said. "Independent
agencies are telling us that this is due to the tremendous
diversification of our economy, in areas such as tourism, agricultural
biotechnology, information technology and value-added food
processing."
A recent report by the Canada West Foundation said the following:
"Value-added manufactured goods have provided a well-needed offset to
the precipitous decline in natural resource exports. Without these
manufactured exports, Saskatchewan would now likely be on the verge of
a severe, trade-induced recession. This would probably have been the
case in the province 20 years ago."
Statistics Canada job figures show there were 2,200 more people
working in Saskatchewan in February 1999 compared to January 1999.
The figures also show there were 464,100 people working in
Saskatchewan in February 1999 compared to 468,200 in February 1998.
The minister noted that Saskatchewan led the nation in economic
growth from 1992 to 1997. "While we have seen a leveling off, we
are still continuing to grow."
MacKinnon said a February 1999 survey conducted by Manpower
Temporary Services, an international staffing company, showed
that employers in both Regina and Saskatoon are optimistic.
One hundred per cent of Regina survey respondents and 94 per cent
of Saskatoon respondents said they expect staffing levels to
increase or stay the same this year.
"StatsCan says that Saskatchewan's projected capital expenditures
of $5.7 billion in 1999 will be the third highest level of
spending in the province's history, and will be more than
$1 billion higher than the level projected for Manitoba in 1999,"
MacKinnon said.
Some of the upcoming major projects expected to create jobs
include: expansion of the upgrader facilities at Lloydminster
($500m) and Regina ($200m), several mining projects, the Alliance
Pipeline project ($750m) and the government's own investments in
the Meridian Cogeneration project in Lloydminster ($125m) and the
Synchrotron in Saskatoon ($178m).
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For more information, contact:
Bob Ellis
Economic and Co-operative Development
Regina
Phone: (306)787-1691