New data shows Calgary’s unemployment rate ranks amongst the highest in the country as its growth in population continues to outpace the availability of job opportunities.
According to Statistics Canada’s November 2024 Labour Force Survey, released on Friday, Calgary’s jobless rate climbed to 7.9 per cent from 7.7 per cent in October.
“The trend that we’re seeing for Calgary in terms of unemployment is largely in line with the national trends across Canada,” said Afiba Nyamekye, Director of Data and Intelligence at Calgary Economic Development (CED).
“We’ve had a large population growth, high labor force participation, and so that has led to a bit of slack in the labor market.”
According to CED, Calgary lost 4,900 overall jobs from October to November 2024 (seasonally adjusted).
Jessica Berci is amongst the thousands of Calgarians looking for a job.
“I’ve been off work for almost six months – and there’s nothing that indicates that I couldn’t be off work for …