Released on February 4, 2000
Job prospects in Saskatchewan continue to get better, year after year, as shownby employment figures released today by Statistics Canada.
The number of people working in Saskatchewan during January 2000 was 12,400
higher than in January 1999 and the vast majority of those jobs, 11,500, were
full-time positions.
"This dramatic increase in full time jobs shows how Saskatchewan's economy is
growing and diversifying," Economic and Co-operative Development Minister
Janice MacKinnon said. "Full time jobs create concrete and meaningful changes
in the quality of life for Saskatchewan people and Saskatchewan families."
Statistics Canada also released figures today that show Saskatchewan's
unemployment rate for January 2000 was 5.6 per cent, a drop of 1.5 per cent
from January 1999. The national average was 7.3 per cent.
StatsCan figures also show Saskatchewan's employment growth rate was 2.7 per
cent in January. This led all western provinces, compared to 2.5 per cent in
Manitoba and Alberta and 2 per cent in British Columbia.
And earlier in the week, Statistics Canada released revised employment
statistics that show Saskatchewan surpassed its job creation target for the
period between 1992 and 1999 by 1,600. The new figures show the province
created 31,600 jobs in that time, not 30,300 as originally reported by StatsCan.
"While job numbers vary from month to month, the long term trend is positive.
Our economy continues to grow and create jobs for Saskatchewan people,"
MacKinnon said.
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For more information, contact:
Bob Ellis
Economic and Co-operative Development
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-1691
**Note to Editors** These are seasonally unadjusted figures as supplied by
Statistics Canada. Adjusted and unadjusted figures can be found on Statistics
Canada's website: www.statscan.ca