Saskatchewan job numbers are on the decline says Yorkton/Melville's provincial NDP candidate and he wants the province to do something about it.
Statistics Canada reported Friday that, while some provinces added over 50,000 full-time jobs, Saskatchewan lost 3,500 full-time jobs. Cam Broten, the NDP Critic for Education, Employment and Immigration says he is concerned about the job loss and the fact that 30,700 people were unemployed and looking for work last month.
"As usual, there are certainly some positive aspects contained in the latest Statistics Canada report, but it's difficult to overlook the downward direction of our job numbers," Broten states. "At a time when the rest of Canada added lots of jobs, including Manitoba with 8,600 new full-time jobs and Alberta with 58,300 new full-time jobs, it's disappointing to see Saskatchewan at the bottom of the pack for job creation. Only Nova Scotia and New Brunswick lost more jobs than we did over the last year."
Broten is also concerned about Aboriginal employment in Saskatchewan. According to Statistics Canada, the First Nations unemployment rate is now 26 per cent, an increase of 5.3 per cent over the last year, while the Métis unemployment rate is 14.8 per cent, an increase of five per cent over the last year.
The economic regions that lost the most jobs were Saskatoon-Biggar (-5,000 jobs), Yorkton-Melville (-1,300 jobs), and Swift Current-Moose Jaw (-200 jobs). The sectors that lost the most jobs included: manufacturing (-2,800 jobs); accommodation and food services (-2,300 jobs); agriculture (-2,100 jobs); forestry, fishing, mining and oil & gas (-1,300 jobs); construction (-1,100 jobs); business, building and other support services (-1,100 jobs); and health care and social assistance (-1,000 jobs).
"It's cause for concern when First Nations and Métis unemployment is skyrocketing, important sectors and regions are losing jobs, and our province shed 3,500 full-time jobs while the rest of Canada added over 253,000," Broten says.
"I've heard from both unemployed people and business owners who are deeply disappointed in the Sask Party's cuts to important job training and employment development programs. The NDP Official Opposition shares that disappointment and continues to call for those short-sighted cuts to be reversed."
"This is a great concern for our province and the people of Yorkton" echoes Chad Blenkin the NDP Candidate in the provincial election.
"For months we've been hearing about prosperity and Saskatchewan leading the country in economic growth, but that's not resulting in jobs for the people of this province, especially in agriculture & manufacturing and the Yorkton-Melville area which saw another loss of 1300 positions. Most of the economic growth is going to companies and employees from outside the province and we need to fix that. Re-instating the Job Start Future Skills so Yorkton residents can acquire jobs would be a good start."
