Calgary unemployment drops, but higher than national rate
Posted Aug 7, 2026 8:49 am.
Last Updated Aug 7, 2026 8:50 am.
Calgary’s unemployment rate ticked lower in the latest Statistics Canada labour force survey, sitting at 6.8 per cent in July.
That’s a drop from the previous month in which the rate was 7.1 per cent.
However, the stats agency cautions that the figures can fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples.
Red Deer had the highest unemployment rate of four Alberta cities listed by Canadian Press, at 7.6 percent, which is an increase from the previous month’s rate of 7.4.
Edmonton was second highest of the four cities with a rate of 6.9 per cent, which decreased from June’s 7.2 per cent.
Lethbridge saw a slight increase month over month, with Alberta’s windy city sitting at 5.6 per cent in July, up from 5.5.
The national unemployment rate was 6.4 per cent in July, down from 6.5 per cent , while Alberta sat unchanged from the previous month at 7 per cent.
The national rate is the lowest it’s been in two years.
Statistics Canada reports Canada added a surprising 75-thousand jobs last month, blowing past expectations of economists
in a Reuters poll.
They had predicted a modest 15-thousand-job gain.
