Alberta unemployment rate took big jump in August, now 2nd highest among provinces

The unemployment rate in Alberta increased to 8.4 per cent in August — that’s up more than half of a percentage point from July’s rate of 7.8 per cent, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada.

That’s the second-highest unemployment rate among all the provinces.

Only Newfoundland and Labrador had a higher rate last month at 10.7 per cent.

Saskatchewan had the lowest jobless rate in the country at 4.7 per cent.

Nationally, the unemployment rate increased to 7.1 per cent — its highest level since May 2016, excluding the pandemic.

StatCan said most of the jobs lost were part-time.

In Calgary, one of four cities in Alberta included in the latest numbers, the unemployment rate remained steady at 7.7 per cent, as the number of people in the labour force declined by about