Sask. begins 2025 with some of Canada’s lowest unemployment rates

Saskatchewan started the year tied for the lowest unemployment rate among provinces sitting at 5.4 per cent compared to the national average of 6.6 per cent, based on data from the latest labour force survey from Statistics Canada.

Year-over year for the month of January nearly 10,000 new jobs were added to the province, and compared to last year employment rose by 5.4 per cent in Saskatoon, and 0.8 per cent in Regina.

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“Saskatchewan continues to regularly have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation as our economy continues to create more jobs and more opportunities,” Deputy Premier and Immigration and Career Training Minister Jim Reiter said in a media release.

“Our government is committed to ensuring that Saskatchewan continues to grow and that is why we are focused on growing access to health care and educational spaces while taking action to make life more affordable for Saskatchewan people.”

The provincial government noted full time employment increased by 0.6 per cent, compared to last year, with job growth expanding in areas like construction, health care, social assistance and agriculture.

According to the province, economic growth is supported by strategies to increase investment in Saskatchewan and build its workforce.

Saskatchewan NDP jobs and economy critic Aleana Young called the numbers released by Statistics Canada on Friday ‘nothing short of devastating.'(Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

NDP calls numbers ‘nothing short of devastating’

Saskatchewan NDP jobs and economy critic Aleana Young called the numbers released on Friday “nothing short of devastating.”

Young said Saskatchewan is losing 1800 jobs when looking at month-over-month numbers.

“Practically speaking, these are the worst jobs numbers in Canada,” she said, comparing numbers to Newfoundland, Alberta, British Columbia, PEI, Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba.

Young said the biggest drop in job numbers comes from the Saskatoon and Biggar regions.

“Saskatoon has done quite well compared to other regions in the province when it comes to job creation, but this month’s numbers are alarming,” she said, noting northern jobs in the province have seen a constant decline.

“While unemployment is down, that’s only because 6100 people have left the labor market and stopped looking for work entirely,” she said.

“With cost-of-living concerns and an all time high health-care crisis, people are worried about their kids in schools and the record numbers of newcomers leaving Saskatchewan.”

Young said the NDP is taking an “all hands on deck approach” to work with a task force letting representatives from small businesses and industries like labour provide solutions.

Young stressed the importance of protecting jobs in the province, especially with U.S. President Donald Trump’s looming tariffs possibly impacting fuel, food, and fertilizer industries.

“We’re going to need governments, whether provincial, municipal or federal, to be focused on doing the work to deal with whatever repercussions may come,” she said.

Read more:

• Premier Scott Moe travelling to Washington D.C. to argue against tariffs
• Federal government hosts Canada-U.S. economic summit during tariff pause