Statistics Canada reports that the unemployment rate in Lethbridge increased in January 2024. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge unemployment rate rose to 5.3% in January

Feb 9, 2024 | 10:22 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – There was a slight increase in the jobless numbers in the Lethbridge area this past month.

Statistics Canada has released its labour force survey for January 2024.

It said the unemployment rate for the Lethbridge Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), which includes some areas immediately surrounding the city, was 5.3 per cent last month, rising from 4.6 per cent in December.

During that time, the population increased by 500 to 114,500.

The number of people who were employed rose by 900 to 77,100, while unemployment increased by 600 residents 4,300.

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When you expand the area to include the entire Lethbridge-Medicine Hat region, the unemployment rate was 7.4 per cent, suggesting that communities outside of Lethbridge had greater percentages of people who were out of work.

For Alberta as a whole, the unemployment rate in January was 6.2 per cent, remaining relatively flat from the rate of 6.3 per cent in December.

There was a gain of 10,100 jobs provincially, most of which came from full-time employment. The number of full-time positions grew by 23,800 while part-time work dropped by 13,600.

Alberta’s population increased by 18,800 people between December 2023 and January 2024.

Nationally, the jobless rate was fairly flat at 5.7 per cent, falling by 0.1 per cent from December.

The full labour force survey can be read on the Statistics Canada website.

READ MORE: Canada’s unemployment rate fell to 5.7% in January, first decline since December 2022

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