According that the latest job figures from Statistics Canada, there are 6,400 fewer people working in Saskatchewan than last year. Over the last year, more jobs were lost in Saskatchewan than in any other province in the country.
“This is not news to the hard-working people I talk to who are struggling to make ends meet but we have to hope that it will be a wake-up call to the Sask. Party who have been ignoring reality,” said NDP Jobs Critic Vicki Mowat. “The Sask. Party’s approach of cutting important programs and services and giving tax breaks to the wealthy and well-connected is doing nothing to create or even protect Saskatchewan jobs.”
These year-over-year job losses are the worst Saskatchewan has seen in 2017 and they come as the Sask. Party continues to defend their heartless cuts to education and healthcare and refuse to back-down on their billion-dollar tax hike and just days after they passed a new tax giveaway to profitable businesses that clear over $500,000 annually.
First Nations unemployment is still sitting at a devastating 20 per cent and many of the sectors that are integral to Saskatchewan’s economy were among the hardest hit. The agriculture sector lost 4,900 jobs since last November, while forestry, fishing, mining and oil and gas lost 1,100 jobs over the same period.
Health care and social services lost 1,400 jobs compared to last year, and the Sask. Party’s PST hike continues to hurt the accommodation and food services sector as it lost 1,600 jobs.
“Getting people back to work should be the priority of the Sask. Party, not cuts and claw backs,” Mowat said. “Other provincial governments are finding ways to help get people back to work, but the Sask. Party is failing Saskatchewan people and actually making the situation worse.”