SASKATCHEWAN’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STILL THE LOWEST IN CANADA

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Saskatchewan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.0 per cent is the lowest in Canada for the second straight month – well below the national average of 7.6 per cent.

Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris said the numbers support the Conference Board of Canada’s release earlier this week, which indicate Saskatoon and Regina will have the first and third highest economic growth rates in the country in 2011.

Norris also pointed to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’s April Business Barometer, which shows that small business optimism in Saskatchewan has hit a three-year high. The report notes that 29 per cent of Saskatchewan employers expect to add full-time staff over the next three to four months.

“Employers in our largest cities and across Saskatchewan are expressing confidence in their future and in the economic future of our province,” Norris said. “As a result, Saskatchewan is and will continue to be the best place in Canada for skilled workers looking for new opportunities.”

April also marks nine consecutive months of year-over-year increases in employment for Aboriginal Youth, which jumped by 1,000, or 11.6 per cent.

Norris noted a strong April for www.saskjobs.ca, where Saskatchewan employers posted 11,410 jobs – an 18 per cent year-over-year increase and the largest monthly total since October of 2008.

“With more than 8,000 jobs available right now, I encourage everyone to visit SaskJobs and see the opportunities our province has to offer,” Norris said.

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For more information, contact:

Christopher Jones-Bonk
Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3106
Email: chris.jones-bonk@gov.sk.ca

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Boomtown Regina: more people and jobs

Image via WikipediaTHE LEADER-POST FEBRUARY 5, 2011



The term "boom town" was used to describe Regina in its infancy, when the future city was little more than a few wooden buildings, rudimentary houses, tents and stables in the 1880s.
Well, if early settlers thought that was a boom, the term certainly applies to the impressive expansion Regina is currently enjoying.
Even in a city used to good news of late, it's been quite a week:
- On Tuesday, the first phase of the $350-million Canadian Logistics Services (CLS) Distribution Centre officially opened. It's the first development in the massive multimodal transportation hub that will bring together rail, truck and possibly air cargo facilities just west of the city.
CLS will handle a variety of merchandise for Loblaw Companies and will move "80 semi-loads of groceries each and every day", Premier Brad Wall said. It currently employs 176 people, but the workforce will grow to up to 800 later this year. The province is said to be "very close" to announcements about other companies moving to the hub.
- On Thursday, Statistics Canada reported that Regina is the third fastest-growing metro area in the country after Saskatoon and Vancouver. The population of Regina and area swelled by almost 5,000 between July 2009 and July 2010, to an estimated 215,138 people. Particularly encouraging is the fact the Regina census metropolitan area's median age of 36.9 was fourth lowest in the nation. (Saskatoon, whose population jumped by 7,240 (to 265,259) has a median age of 35.4 -the lowest in Canada). Just a few years ago, when outmigration was at its height, it was feared Regina would have an aging population with too few young people. It's also good to know international immigration is playing a big part in population growth as the world discovers what Regina has to offer.
- Friday brought another Statistics Canada report, this time showing Regina with the lowest unemployment of all Canadian cities surveyed at just 4.5 per cent. There was a year-over-year increase of 6,700 jobs. Regina (and thirdplace Saskatoon) helped the province achieve a 5.4 per cent jobless rate, second in the nation after Manitoba.
Though some progress is being made, aboriginal unemployment remains unacceptably high. However, the city's biggest issue remains the short supply of rental housing -particularly affordable accommodation. Virtually all newcomers -even those who plan to buy property -initially need rental housing, yet the vacancy rate hovers around one per cent. Longer-term renters on low incomes -many of them aboriginal -are struggling with rising rents.
We look forward to the release of the province's housing strategy in June, which promises to have an "an emphasis on affordable and accessible housing". Municipalities, home builders, real estate organizations, chambers of commerce and community-based organizations across the province are working on solutions to this issue.
Affordable housing is a crucial element to marketing Regina and maintaining population growth. The pioneers might have been prepared to rough it in tents in the 19th century, but that's hardly an option for newcomers today.

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