Sask. continues to see young people start their careers in the province

The working class in Saskatchewan is continuously expanding.

According to Statistics Canada, 18,700 new full-time jobs were added in the province in February, which is an increase of 15,200 compared to February 2023.

The province also saw an all-time high population of people aged 15 or older of 940,600 and an all-time high off-reserve Indigenous population of people aged 15 or older of 112,500.

Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate in February was 5.0 per cent, the third-lowest rate in the country. However, the province’s unemployment rate rose from 4.7 per cent in January.

The national unemployment rate last month was 5.8 per cent.

Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison believes Saskatchewan will continue to see a steady increase of jobs being added.

“You kind of see a bit of variation, but what you have seen is a very clear trajectory in terms of job growth,” Harrison said Friday during a media event in Saskatoon. “Nearly 100,000 jobs (have been) created over the course of the last decade. We’re seeing a continued creation of jobs here in the province.”

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Harrison said with the increase of available jobs, those who are graduating high school or university may choose to start their careers in the province.

“When I was graduating high school here in Saskatchewan … a lot of my friends had to leave the province,” said Harrison. “That has really changed. The fact is that you can find and build an incredibly good career here in Saskatchewan.”

Harrison credits that success to the graduate retention program that was created 16 years ago.

Though there isn’t a specific area that always sees growth, some areas do see more growth than others.

“You have variations month to month,” said Harrison. “Really, where you do see significant growth is in resource-related sectors, and (in) agriculture, in mining (and) in energy. These are all areas where historically we have had strengths.”

Some part-time positions are now being turned into full-time positions.

“(That) is actually a trend that we’ve been seeing now for the past year,” said Harrison.

Harrison said Saskatchewan is currently seeing the highest youth employment numbers ever.

“It is a reflection that young people who are coming out of university (or) out of high school entering the labour market are staying here,” said Harrison. “That really is a very positive thing.”

Harrison said that there is now an opportunity for young people to stay in Saskatchewan and that the government is happy the province is able to keep its young workers in the province.