Alberta’s unemployment rate jumps to 7.9 per cent: StatsCan

Alberta’s soaring unemployment rate climbed higher than Quebec’s last month, the first time that’s happened in nearly 30 years.

Alberta’s February unemployment rate is up half a percentage point to 7.9 per cent as we continue to see the fallout from low oil prices.

StatsCan says the increase was largely the result of more people joining the job search than any increase in job losses.

Year-over-year, Alberta lost 56-thousand full time jobs and the unemployment rate for February is 2.5 per cent than it was a year ago.

Calgary’s jobless rate rose from 7.7 per cent to 8.4 per cent.

Overall, the national jobless rate crept up to 7.3 per cent with the country losing a net 2300 jobs last month.

Economists had been expecting the country to add 9,000 net jobs.

BC was the only province to register a significant increase in employment.

Agencies/Canadajournal