WASHINGTON: Alberta has lost more than 20,000 jobs for the second month is a row. New numbers released by Statistics Canada Friday, found that Alberta’s unemployment rate jumped from 7.2 per cent to 7.8 per cent in May following the loss of 24,100 jobs.
The numbers paint a bleak picture of the provincial economy, especially for those looking for work. Dan Paquette was laid off from his courier job servicing the oil sands in May. “When he laid me off, fortunately I was able to find work again right away,” he explained.
But that job, at a warehouse in Edmonton, was only temporary. The work has since run out and Paquette is already back on the job hunt. According to Statistics Canada, several Alberta industries were hit by the losses, with the natural resources sector taking the biggest cut at 12,000 jobs.
