By paNOW Staff

Weather a factor in Saskatchewan’s unemployment increase

Oct 8, 2010 | 4:58 PM

Sarah Mills

CJME

Unemployment has risen in Saskatchewan but the bad weather earlier this fall may have played a role in the increase.
That is what the government is arguing as a reason for September's jobless rate rising to 5.5 per cent. That compares to 4.8 per cent in August.
Minister Rob Norris contends that farmers couldn't get in the fields and construction crews were often without work, forcing them to seek unemployment.
The NDP is putting some blame for September's jobless spike down to the weather but argues the government must shoulder some responsibility.
MLA Cam Broten argues what about the role the government has played.
“(There have been) changes to the film industry which has seen a huge decline in the number of people employed,” said Broten.
Broten maintains there isn't doing enough being done to help those unemployed get back to work.
“We have seen in the past year a number of short-sighted cuts in the area of training and employment, one example is the aboriginal employment development program,” said Broten.
With Mother Nature now smiling down on us, Norris hopes the jobless rate changes.
“We anticipate that these numbers are going to bounce back.”
He points to the fact there are more people than ever working in Saskatchewan as reason for optimism. There were 528,100 people working in September, an increase of 6,300 over the same month last year.
However, the NDP insists many of the new jobs are part-time leaving families with few financial options.