West-central representing largest employment growth by region in March report

With files from Steven Wilson

March's numbers for employment, and unemployment, in 2024 were released by the province back on Friday, April 5. Compared to last March, west-central Saskatchewan saw the most uptick in activity looking at the province's five reporting regions.

From March 2023 to March 2024, the Government of Saskatchewan is showing another 6.2 increase in the Saskatoon-Biggar region, representing the largest regional growth.

(Screengrab via dashboard.saskatchewan.ca)

Saskatchewan's employment growth as a whole went up 2.2 per cent in March, aided by another 3.5 per cent increase in the Regina-Moose Mountain region, and the 1.4 per cent jump in Yorkton-Melville. These positive numbers are up against less people working in total across Saskatchewan to begin 2024. Employment growth went down in two jurisdictions, Swift Current-Moose Jaw at -5.6 per cent, and Prince Albert and Northern by -4.1 per cent.

The provincial unemployment rate, adjusted for seasonality, went from 5.0 percent to 5.4 per cent with approximately 4000 fewer people working in Saskatchewan. In 2023 that number was down at 4.7 per cent.

Back in February, a similar rate had local employment numbers among the best in the province's reporting regions. Read those totals in the related articles section below.