Released on August 5, 2005
Saskatchewan's record-breaking job performance continues. New figures indicate July 2005 is the highest on record for people working in the province for the month of July. This is the 16th straight month of record job growth for Saskatchewan.Statistics Canada figures out today show 496,800 people employed in Saskatchewan last month (seasonally unadjusted figure). That beats the old July record (set just last year) by 6,700.
"These solid job numbers are the latest indicator of a very strong Saskatchewan economy," Industry and Resources Minister Eric Cline said. "Businesses are seizing their opportunities in our 'have' province, and that's clearly good news for Saskatchewan workers and families."
Full-time jobs in the province were up 8,900 over July of last year.
Jobs were up last month in construction, trade, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation and public administration compared to the previous July. Employment in services, finance, insurance and real estate and the resource industries was down July over July.
Cline noted that other economic indicators continue to be positive for Saskatchewan. Manufacturing shipments, potash production and sales, natural gas production, mineral exploration, international exports, retail sales and building permit values are all up. The Conference Board of Canada, Scotiabank, TDBank, CIBC and Bank of Montreal all expect Saskatchewan to have the nation's third fastest growth rate in 2005.
"Saskatchewan's strong performance in its Centennial year reflects both a diversified economy and innovation in our key sectors," Cline said. "Business, government and communities are building on our strong foundations, and that bodes well for more jobs for Saskatchewan people as we head into our next century of opportunity."
Saskatchewan had the third lowest unemployment rate in Canada in July at 4.9 per cent (seasonally unadjusted), down 0.5 percentage points from July 2004 and below the national rate of 6.9 per cent. Saskatoon and Regina had the third and fifth lowest unemployment rates among major Canadian cities at 4.5 per cent and 5.2 per cent, respectively.
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For More Information, Contact:
| Bob Ellis Industry and Resources Regina Phone: (306) 787-1691 |