Aboriginals represent about eight per cent of Saskatchewan’s total workforce, yet they represent 22 per cent of the total unemployed.
The numbers are contained in the August employment figures released Friday by Statistics Canada
Overall, the numbers show the province continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 4.7 per cent, with more people working. The total workforce in the province is now about 580,000. About 45 thousand of them are aboriginals.
Off-reserve aboriginal employment is up nearly four per cent. It is the sixth month in a row the numbers have increased, but the numbers are not all rosy.
The aboriginal unemployment rate was 13.8 per cent last month, an increase of 1.3 per cent and more than three times the non-aboriginal rate.
Breaking down the numbers even further, First Nations unemployment is 22.6 per cent – an increase of 2.1 per cent. The Metis unemployment rate is 8.2 per cent, an increase of 0.3 per cent.
Over the last year, the aboriginal workforce has increased by about 1,700 workers or about 4 per cent. The non- aboriginal workforce increased by 13,000 or about 2.4 per cent.
Saskatchewan has had the lowest unemployment rate in Canada for almost two years now. Our rate of 4.7 per cent compares to the national average of seven per cent – that’s 2.3 per cent lower.