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Region's unemployment rate increases from December

PHOTO. RMWB Jubilee Centre. Sarah Anderson. REPORTER.

The unemployment rate for Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake increased in January.

Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows our region’s unemployment rate at 5.6 per cent, up from December’s 5.1 per cent.

While this is the highest rate we’ve seen since October 2018, it’s still below the provincial unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent.

Employment by industry shows that forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying and oil & gas saw a decrease of roughly 200 jobs compared to December, 2018.

Construction saw a decrease of 400.

Transportation & warehousing saw an increase of 500 and accommodation & food services saw the largest increase at 600.

Information, culture and recreation has only varied by about 100 jobs.

Nationally, there were 66,800 net new jobs bringing the unemployment rate up to 5.8 per cent from December’s 43-year low of 5.6 per cent.