Employment Rebounds in Edmonton

May 11, 2012

The addition of 6,000 full-time positions in oil and gas, manufacturing and construction last month brought a welcome end to 3 straight months of job losses in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Statistics Canada figures for April released May 11, 2012 show Edmonton CMA’s unemployment rate dropping from 5.7% in March to 5.3 % in April. 

“This upswing in employment, particularly in the high-paying, full-time sectors of oil and gas, manufacturing and construction, means the greater Edmonton area can be optimistic about our economic outlook, as we look forward to a boost in retail, housing and personal services over the remainder of the year,” said John Rose, Chief Economist for the City of Edmonton.

Rose also noted that Edmonton CMA’s service sector was less buoyant, with net job losses in professional services, education and health care. As well there was a shift from full-time to part-time jobs in several service sectors between March and April.

“One month’s numbers don’t necessarily signal a return to the remarkable job growth Edmonton experienced in 2011,” Rose cautions, “and at a provincial level, although 10,000 job were added between March and April, Alberta’s drop in unemployment to 4.9% could signal a labour market potentially moving towards a shortage of key skills and more experienced workers, making it more difficult for employers to attract and retain qualified staff.”

At the national level, 58,000 new jobs gained in April were offset by a significant increase in the number of people looking for work, with the result that the national unemployment rate moved up slightly to 7.3%. Excellent gains in manufacturing, resources and agriculture more than made up for a loss of over 30,000 public sector jobs between March and April.

 

For more information:

John Rose

Chief Economist, Financial Services and Utilities

Telephone	780-496-6070
Email	John.Rose@edmonton.ca