A new report from Statistics Canada says Alberta was one of the country’s leaders in employment growth last month.
It says around 15,000 Albertans found work last month, 14,100 of whom came into full-time positions. This largely helped to offset a decline in jobs from March.
Quebec was the only jurisdiction to see a bigger increase in employment, which was at 18,000.
Some of the industries that hired more people in Alberta last month include manufacturing (+5,600), information, culture and recreation (+5,100), and public administration (+4,600).
Other sectors declined, however, including professional, scientific and technical services (-7,300), natural resources (-6,100), and wholesale and retail trade (-3,300).
Although the large statistical area around Drayton Valley has a lower unemployment rate than that the provincial average, and added 800 positions, it has grown month-over-month and year-over-year.
The added jobs were tempered by a growth in population, as Statistics Canada shows an increase in the large area, up nearly 4,500 year-over-year.
The unemployment rate for the region that also includes Grande Prairie, Rocky Mountain House, Peace River, Jasper and Whitecourt had an April 2025 unemployment rate of 6.2 per cent, up from 5.3 per cent a year ago.
That’s a jump from the 5.5 per cent of people in the Banff–Jasper–Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca–Grande Prairie–Peace River area that were out of work at the end of March 2025.
Statistics Canada shows a population reduction in the large area as well, down nearly 4,500 resident year-over-year.
Red Deer had the highest unemployment rate of Alberta’s largest cities at 8.2 per cent, but that is down from 8.5 per cent the month before.
Calgary and Edmonton were relatively unchanged at 7.4 per cent and 7.3 per cent unemployment, respectively.
The full Labour Force Survey can be found on Statistics Canada.
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