Regional unemployment rate hits 6.4 per cent

LETHBRIDGE – The jobless rate in southern Alberta continues to climb.

The three-month moving average for the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat region was 6.4 per cent for December, up from 6.1 per cent in November and 5.7 per cent from a year earlier.

The only region with a lower rate was Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River, at 6.2 per cent. Calgary was the highest at 9.6 per cent, a slight improvement from November.

The Alberta unemployment rate dropped from 9 to 8.5 per cent in December, wtih a net gain of 18,500 full time jobs, compared to a net loss of 11,600 part time positions.