Released on September 9, 2005
New figures out today show Saskatchewan's record job numbers keep on rolling, with the highest August ever for jobs and the 17th straight month of record numbers.Statistics Canada figures released today show 492,200 people working in Saskatchewan last month. That tops by 2,500 the old record for August set last year.
"Our economy continues to be hot, and the beneficiaries of that strong performance are Saskatchewan workers," Industry and Resources Minister Eric Cline said. "Our centennial year has clearly become a year on the business front to remember and celebrate as well."
Full-time jobs in Saskatchewan increased by 5,800 over August of last year.
Jobs were up last month in every sector except for services compared to the previous August.
Cline said other economic indicators are also tracking well for the province. Manufacturing shipments, potash production, natural gas production, international exports, retail sales, building permit values and new vehicle sales are all up. Most economic forecasters show Saskatchewan as one of the nation's leaders in economic growth.
"While our job numbers will fluctuate from month to month, we clearly have momentum in our economy and are very pleased by the figures of the last 17 months," Cline said. "We need to continue encouraging innovation in our economy, investing in key infrastructure, and further developing our climate for business growth."
Saskatchewan had the third-lowest unemployment rate in Canada in August at 5.7 per cent (seasonally unadjusted), up 0.2 percentage points from August 2004 but well below the national rate of 7.1 per cent.
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For More Information, Contact:
| Bob Ellis Industry and Resources Regina Phone: (306) 787-1691 |