The provincial NDP says finding a job in Saskatchewan is still a pretty big challenge for aboriginals.
The latest jobless figures out on Friday show the aboriginal jobless rate has gotten worse over the last year – rising from 11 per cent in September of 2014, to 13.7 per cent last month.
The provincial rate was 5.1 per cent, the lowest in the country. Breaking down the numbers even further, the First Nations unemployment rate is 21.3 per cent – an increase of 4.4 per cent from a year ago – while the Metis unemployment rate is 8.8 per cent, an increase of 1.7 per cent from September of last year.
NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon, says more focus is needed to educate and engage aboriginal youth.
“So there needs to be commitments to better fund education for every student in Saskatchewan, but certainly for First Nations students, who right now are being short-changed,” he said.
The federal government is responsible for on-reserve education funding, while the province provides funding for off-reserve schools. The FSIN claims on-reserve students receive about half as much funding as students in the provincial system.
Wotherspoon says the high aboriginal unemployment rate, inadequate standards for seniors care, and classroom size will be issues the NDP will raise during the fall sitting of the legislature which begins next Tuesday.
It will be the last session before April’s provincial election.