Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate sat at 5.4 per cent in September, the second-lowest among provinces and well below the national average of 6.5 per cent, according to Statistics Canada’s latest labour force survey.
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The province added 2,400 jobs year-over-year in September, and employment hit a monthly record high of 625,000 people working in Saskatchewan, the provincial government said.
What the numbers mean for the Border City
Lloydminster’s labour market draws from both the Alberta and Saskatchewan sides of the city, meaning provincial job trends on either side of the border directly shape hiring and wages in the Border City.
A tightening Saskatchewan labour market, paired with ongoing hiring pressure covered in a recent Lloydminster job fair addressing the local labour shortage, suggests employers on both sides of the city may continue competing for the same pool of workers.
Saskatchewan immigration and career training minister Eric Schmalz said the figures reflect ongoing economic momentum in the province.
“Saskatchewan’s economy is strong and steady and the new labour market numbers from Statistics Canada reflect that strength,” Schmalz said. “Our government is working to ensure that economic growth continues by helping Saskatchewan people prepare for the jobs being created by our strong and steady economy.”
Youth employment and city-level gains
Youth unemployment in Saskatchewan declined to 11.4 per cent from August, a figure well below the national average of 13.0 per cent, the province said.
Saskatchewan’s two largest cities also posted year-over-year employment gains. Saskatoon’s employment rose by 900, an increase of 0.4 per cent, while Regina’s employment climbed by 5,300, up 3.5 per cent.
The province said private-sector employment grew by 21,500 jobs, or 6.0 per cent, compared with September 2025. Manufacturing added 5,700 jobs, a 21.7 per cent increase, and construction also added 5,700 jobs, up 11.8 per cent. Healthcare and social assistance employment rose by 4,100, a 4.0 per cent increase.
Broader economic indicators
Saskatchewan ranked first among provinces for year-over-year growth in urban housing starts, according to the provincial release. The province also ranked second for month-over-month manufacturing sales and recorded the second-highest year-to-date growth in merchandise exports.
The province said the gains are backed by two provincial strategies: Building the Workforce for a Growing Economy: The Saskatchewan Labour Market Strategy, and Securing the Next Decade of Growth: Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy, which targets $16 billion in annual private capital investment under the province’s growth plan.
The latest figures follow a string of recent reports tracking the province’s labour market, including earlier releases on Saskatchewan’s lowest unemployment rate in Canada and job growth earlier in the year.
Statistics Canada releases monthly labour force survey data for all provinces, with the next report expected in November.
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