By Jeff Labine

Unemployment rate sparks optimism

Mar 17, 2017 | 6:00 AM

Prince Albert’s unemployment rate is still above the provincial average but the general manager of a non-profit organization aimed at helping businesses succeed prefers to see that as an opportunity.

Statistics Canada released its latest labour force data, which showed Prince Albert and the North’s unemployment rate rose by 1.6 per cent from last year in February to 9.7 per cent in 2017. The provincial rate is 6.6 per cent.

Joseph Kiunga, the general manager of the Prince Albert and District Community Futures, wasn’t worried about the high unemployment rate. Instead he prepared to look on the positive side.

“[The data] tells me there’s opportunities to create jobs,” he said. “As a business-focused organization, it tells me that one there’s probably a gap in skills as far as the marketplace wants and what we are offering.”

He said a problem the province has is its tied to commodity prices, which in turn impacts cities like Prince Albert.

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The non-profit organization receives financial support from the federal government to provide help to businesses and foster entrepreneurship. On average, the organization helps roughly 300 individuals a year.

With the unemployment rate so high, Kiunga said there’s also an opportunity for new ideas to emerge.

“Sometimes we don’t realize that we have the wealth within the community,” he said. “We look for solutions elsewhere. I believe strongly that some of the challenges we face as a community can be resolved by looking inwards.”

Mayor Greg Dionne said he wasn’t surprised to learn the unemployment rate was so high because of the challenges both the city and the province have been facing. He pointed out construction has also slowed in Prince Albert, which also impact the employment rate.

“We have a young Aboriginal population that is struggling to find employment in our workforce so that also affects the figure,” he said. “That’s why I think it is very diligent for the city to come up with creative ways to spark construction in the city.”

Dionne said he’s hoping with more construction happening in Prince Albert, it will lead to more diversification of the economy and workforce. He called construction a “short-term fix” until new businesses become sustainable.

He added he works hard to try and bring new businesses to the city.

“Sometimes you can do it within where you come up with tax exemptions for businesses to expand in the city,” he said. “We have to make [the city] friendlier to do business in and sometimes give tax exemption or land to draw businesses here.”
 

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter