The Northwest Territories’ employment rate has remained above 75 percent in consecutive months for the first time this century.
Throughout 2022, the territory has had Canada’s highest employment rate by a distance. Only the Yukon is close, at 71.9 percent. Every other jurisdiction posted an August figure below 65 percent.
The figures demonstrate the continuing tight labour market in the NWT, where employers are fighting to find workers to fill vacancies.
The NWT’s participation rate has – for the first time in a decade – remained above 78 percent for four consecutive months, meaning more people than usual are in the job market. Still the employment rate remains high, suggesting almost all of those people are quickly finding and retaining work.
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Among figures released by the NWT Bureau of Statistics on Friday, the employment rate for residents aged 15 to 24 remained unusually high at 68.5 percent – more than 10 percentage points higher than the usual pre-pandemic August figure for that age group.
“Statistics Canada estimates that in August 2022, out of 34,200 Northwest Territories residents aged 15 years and older, 25,900 were employed,” the bureau reported.
“While the number of employed persons was unchanged from July, there was a shift toward full-time employment, which increased by 600 persons.
“The employment rate stood at 75.7 percent and unemployment rate at 4.1 percent, both unchanged from the previous month.”
