Southeast Saskatchewan's labour market saw a significant contraction in September, shedding 1,100 jobs and holding the local unemployment rate at 6.5 per cent, according to the latest labour force data.

The month-over-month decline saw the total number of people in the labour force also fall by 1,100 from August to September.

The recent dip comes amid a challenging year-over-year trend for job seekers. While the regional labour force outside of Regina grew by 2,300 people since September of last year, only 700 new jobs were created over that same period. This gap has resulted in the number of unemployed individuals jumping by 1,800 over the past 12 months.

Despite the tighter job market, a silver lining is the region's highly engaged workforce. The southeast boasts a labour force partic

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