Despite a slight improvement in the employment picture in Abbotsford (from 8.1 to 7.9) the city retained its position at the top of the unemployment rates for Western Canada followed by Kelowna.
Statistics Canada reported this week that the national unemployment rate was 7.1 per cent in August. The seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities in Western Canada reveal Abbotsford still has the highest unemployment west of Ontario.
— Winnipeg 5.9 (6.2)
— Regina 2.9 (3.5)
— Saskatoon 4.3 (3.9)
— Calgary 5.0 (5.3)
— Edmonton 5.2 (4.8)
— Kelowna, B.C. 7.2 (8.4)
— Abbotsford, B.C. 7.9 (8.1)
— Vancouver 6.8 (6.6)
— Victoria 5.7 (5.8)
In all of Canada the only cities with higher unemployment are in Ontario’s rust belt, rural Quebec and St John New Brunswick:
— London, Ont. 8.3 (8.6)
— Windsor, Ont. 8.9 (9.2)
— St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. 8.6 (8.3)
— Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont. 8.0 (8.0)
— Trois-Rivieres, Que. 9.6 (9.9)
— Saint John, N.B. 10.5 (10.9)
— Saguenay, Que. 8.2 (7.7)