A recent survey from Statistics Canada suggests the unemployment rate in Alberta has reached the highest point since 1994.
The Labour Force Survey for July, released Aug. 5, showed a 0.7 per cent unemployment rate increase, putting the provincial rate at 8.6 per cent.
Tarina Dueck, senior manager at Prospect, which oversees Rockyview Employment Services, said each year the utilization of its employment services grows.
Demand for employment services has grown about 15 to 20 per cent from last year, she said, with an average of 925 people utilizing the service from the Rocky View County region each month.
“It’s certainly a growing number of people who are continuing to look for employment,” Dueck said.
She said Rockyview Employment Services is finding a drop in available full-time employment and an increase in employers looking to hire part-time employees, something the Labour Force Survey also suggests.
The field of available jobs is also changing, Dueck said, with positions becoming available in the service industry such as food, retail, hospitality and accommodation.
Wildrose MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills Nathan Cooper said significant changes in the job market with the loss of full-time jobs and rise of part-time employment is concerning.
Though he said the average Albertan doesn’t expect the government to create jobs, they do expect government policy won’t have a negative impact on job creators.
Cooper said NDP policies such as heightened business taxes, a minimum wage increase causing upward pressure on wages across the board and a pending carbon tax are signs the government is not doing their part in creating an environment that is conducive to job creation.
“All of these things add up and have a negative impact on job creators,” he said.
“Albertans are frustrated that the government is piling on more and making things worse.”
Alberta Minister of Labour Christina Gray said in an email to Rocky View Weekly the Alberta Jobs Plan will address the issue, but is still in its early stages.
“Passed in late May, The Alberta Jobs Plan is a long-term strategy that cushions the impact of the downturn and supports the creation of 100,000 jobs over the next three years,” Gray said.
“This plan has been in action for two months now, and we will report progress on meeting that 100,000 target over the course of the plan.”
The minister said though the Labour Force Survey revealed a 0.7 per cent rise in unemployment in July, this was a direct result of 17,600 more people entering Alberta’s workforce seeking employment as opposed to direct job loss.
“We’re very concerned with this economic downturn because hardworking Albertans and their families are hurting,” she said.
“We will continue to support these Albertans as they seek employment opportunities.”
Dueck said Albertans seeking employment, especially in a new field of work, should identify what transferable skills they have and learn how to position those in a way that are an asset for new jobs.
With this downturn lasting longer than previous ones, she said job hunters must prepare themselves to send out multiple resumes and be more aggressive in their job search.
“It can be a discouraging time because it’s taking people longer to find employment,” Dueck said.
“Try not to get discouraged though because it will come around again.”
