Sask. Party Spin Outstrips Population Growth

Sask. Party spin appears to be growing even faster than the province’s population. Today’s Saskatchewan government news release quotes Premier Wall as saying, “We have the strongest job growth and lowest unemployment in Canada.”

By what measure does Saskatchewan have the strongest job growth? Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey indicates that employment grew by 2.9 per cent in Saskatchewan and 3.6 per cent in Alberta over the past year (August 2012 to August 2013).

The Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours indicates that payroll employment (as opposed to self-employment) grew by 1.3 per cent in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, 1.4 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, and 2.5 per cent in Alberta over the past year (June 2012 to June 2013, the most recent figures available).

Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate is indeed the lowest in Canada. At 4.2 per cent, it is the same as it was in October and November 2007, when the Sask. Party took power. In other words, the number of unemployed workers has grown at the same pace as employment, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged.