Sask. Aboriginal Employment Numbers Down

Sask. Aboriginal Employment Numbers Down

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 14:42

 

 

The number of First Nations and Metis people working in the province actually dropped over the past year, according to the provincial government.

 

There were 32,600 Aboriginal people working in Saskatchewan in October 2008, but last month, that figure had fallen to 29,000, a drop of 3,600 people from a year ago.

 

Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris isn’t sure how to account for the low numbers.

 

They’re coming at a time when the province has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, at 5.3 per cent.

 

His ministry is trying to find out why the figures are down.

 

Norris says a positive sign, though, is the number of Aboriginal people enrolled in post-secondary education.

 

“Nearly 20 per cent of SIAST students are First Nation and Metis. There are between 1,600 and 1,800 First Nation and Metis students at the University of Saskatchewan. So as I say, the optimism here for us rests on that cohort,” he says.

 

Norris says as those people graduate and get jobs, Aboriginal employment numbers should climb.