Released on February 18, 2009
Saskatchewan's economic momentum continues to keep it one of the strongest provinces in the country, according to the newest statistics on wholesale trade released by Statistics Canada.
In 2008, wholesale trade in Saskatchewan increased by 41.1 per cent compared to 2007 (seasonally-unadjusted). This was the highest percentage increase among the provinces by a significant margin, eclipsing the national average of 2.8 per cent.
"These estimates of monthly sales for wholesale merchants in Canada are an important indicator of the health of the provincial economies," Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris said on behalf of Enterprise and Innovation Minister Lyle Stewart. "Saskatchewan's continued resilience in the current global economy reflects the diversity of our markets and our highly innovative, competitive businesses. Saskatchewan entered this situation firing on all cylinders and that is making the difference."
Saskatchewan's wholesale trade was up by 16.1 per cent (seasonally-adjusted) in December 2008 compared to December 2007, which was the second-highest percentage increase among the provinces and was surpassed only by Prince Edward Island at 18 per cent.
On a seasonally unadjusted basis, wholesale trade in Saskatchewan increased by 17.5 per cent in December 2008 compared to December 2007. This was again the second-highest percentage increase among the provinces.
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For more information, contact:
Jamie Shanks
Enterprise Saskatchewan
Regina
Phone: 306-798-0503
Email: jamie.shanks@gov.sk.ca