The region is seeing a slight increase in jobs month over month.
According to Statistics Canada’s latest labour force survey, Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake added around 100 positions in February.
This is the first time in eight months the region added jobs. In the previous seven months, the area lost approximately 7,400 positions.
The health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and professional, scientific and technical services sectors each added around 200 spots.
The forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas sector saw the biggest drop in February, losing around 300 jobs. Currently, around 19,900 people in Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake work in this sector.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose from 5.3 per cent to 5.8 per cent.
Provincially and federally, the unemployment rate increased from last month – sitting at 7.2 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively.
