March was either a good or bad month for employment in Saskatchewan depending on who you ask.
The provincial government said there were 2,000 jobs created in March 2017 compared with the same time last year.
In a news release, Economy Minister Jeremy Harrison said “Saskatchewan’s economy is strong and resilient and the job numbers [Friday] are an encouraging sign.”
Harrison added March was the second consecutive month with year-over-year job creation.
Statistics Canada is telling a different story, suggesting employment declined by 5,100 in March, offsetting an increase seen in February.
Statistics Canada said employment in Saskatchewan was “virtually unchanged” compared with 12 months earlier.
Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate was unchanged at six per cent. The national unemployment rate was 6.7 per cent.