Central Alberta jobless rate surges in March

The local jobless rate surged 1.5 percentage points in March, according to Statistics Canada’s latest figures.

Unemployment in the Red Deer region was estimated at 5.9 per cent last month, up from 4.4 per cent in February and 5.4 per cent in March 2012. The number was the highest of Alberta’s eight regions, with Calgary next at 5.1 per cent, followed by Lethbridge-Medicine Hat (4.8 per cent), Edmonton (4.4 per cent), Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House (4.3 per cent), Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake and Athabasca-Grande Prairie (tied at 4.1 per cent), and Camrose-Drumheller (2.8 per cent).

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/d35675g