Released on April 4, 2008
Employment Tops Half Million - An All-Time Record for March
The number of people working in Saskatchewan grew by 5,400 in the past year. As a result there were 500,100 people working in Saskatchewan in March, according to the new Labour Force Survey released today by Statistics Canada.
That's an all-time record for the month of March in Saskatchewan and it's the first time employment has topped 500,000 in March.
Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris said it's one more sign of Saskatchewan's vibrant and growing economy.
"March employment hit an all-time high, we are expected to lead the nation in economic growth in 2008, and we have the fastest rate of population growth in the country," Norris said. "Saskatchewan is on a roll."
Norris said the growth in both population and employment shows that Saskatchewan is addressing the labour shortage by attracting people from other provinces.
"Is there more to be done to address the labour shortage?" Norris said. "Yes, and that's why our government is increasing training spaces and funding for lifeskills and employment training through CBOs. But these numbers clearly show that we are moving in the right direction and getting more people into Saskatchewan's workforce.
"The task of our government is to ensure this growth continues so that all Saskatchewan people can benefit from our province's growing economy."
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For more information, contact:
Gladys Wasylenchuk
Advanced Education, Employment and Labour
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4156
Email: gwasylenchuk@lab.gov.sk.ca