SaskParty, NDP At Odds Over Aboriginal Job Numbers

SaskParty, NDP At Odds Over Aboriginal Job Numbers

Friday, October 08, 2010 at 14:55

The provincial goverment says a record number of people were working in the province last month.

Statistics for the month of September indicate an increase of 6,300 jobs from the same month last year.

The government says that means there were a total of over 528,100 working last month.

Employment Minister Rob Norris also says Aboriginal employment increased by 1,400 jobs in September — the fifth consecutive month of increases.

NDP Employment Critic Cam Broten says the picture isn’t all rosy, though.

Broten says even with the “modest” employment increases for Aboriginal people last month, there were less jobs for Metis people year-over-year and more Aboriginal people looking for work and not finding jobs.

He says the unemployent rate for First Nations people is 21.6% for First Nations and 11.8% for Metis people.