Those predicting an early federal election are probably smiling after the job numbers were released on Friday.
Nationally, we saw an employment increase of 150,000 new positions. That is wildly ahead of the forecasts which were in the 10,000 range and two-thirds of gains came in Ontario and Quebec.
Here in Saskatchewan, we were riding the growth train as well. Our numbers grew substantially – up a total of 4,500 in January. This included an increase of more than 5,000 full-time positions as part-time spots declined as employers appeared to offer full-time employment to their part-timers.
We also saw growth in the work force and working-age population, another sign that people are moving to Saskatchewan to capitalize on the economic expansion we’re seeing in a variety of sectors.
In assessing the new numbers, the provincial government noted they set some new records: that there were 16,000 new jobs generated in the past year resulting in the highest employment numbers ever; the workforce size set a record and the total number of full-time positions has never been higher.
