Although Canadian employment grew by 90,000 jobs last month, stagnation in Saskatchewan has prompted NDP criticism and calls to curtail out-of-province government contracts.April’s numbers continue a 6-year trend of low year-over-year job growth. No full-time jobs were added last month as job growth was down or stagnant in four out of Saskatchewan’s five economic regions: In the Regina-Moose Mountain economic area, total employment has increased by 2,700 part-time jobs month-over-month (1.5%).In the Swift Current-Moose Jaw economic area, total employment has decreased by 800 jobs month-over-month (-1.6%).In the Saskatoon-Biggar economic area, total employment has decreased by 1,300 jobs month-over-month (-0.6%).In the Yorkton-Melville economic area total employment has decreased by 400 jobs month-over-month (-1.1%).In the Prince Albert and Northern economic area total employment is unchanged month-over-month (0.0%).In addition to the low rate of job growth, Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate has risen for the third consecutive month to 5.7%.The Statistics Canada job numbers follow a report from last month that showed that Saskatchewan lost a net 91 small businesses over the last year, as news of business closures continue to dominate headlines. After six years in office, Premier Scott Moe still has the worst jobs record in all of Canada as April’s job numbers show no full-time jobs were added and unemployment rose to 5.7%.Official Opposition Critic for Jobs and the Economy Aleana Young was critical of the government.“While Scott Moe and his ministers fly around the world on the public dime, back home, Saskatchewan people are finding it harder and harder to get ahead,” said Young.“We’re losing record numbers of jobs in our rural areas as Scott Moe continues to have the worst jobs record in the country.”Since Scott Moe took office in February 2018, every other province in Canada has created jobs at a faster rate, while 40,000 jobs have been lost in rural Saskatchewan.In a special session of debate, Young introduced a motion in the legislature on Thursday, "That the Assembly calls on the government to stop handing public contracts to out-of-province companies connected to the government and instead prioritize the creation of jobs in Saskatchewan through hiring Saskatchewan workers and companies for public projects."Saskatoon Riversdale MLA Marv Friesen rebutted Young with stats that Saskatchewan companies get more than 80% of government contracts, and more than 90% of the time when bids are open. He pointed out that a level playing field allows Saskatchewan companies to also bid on out-of-province contracts, something some NDP politicians did for themselves."Why did [former NDP MLA] Ryan Meili go out of province to hire a photographer? Why did he do that? Mr. Speaker, why did the member from Regina Walsh Acres hire a campaign manager from Toronto for over $10,000, Mr. Deputy Speaker? Why did the candidate from Lumsden-Morse get a campaign manager in from Ottawa for $9,000?" asked Friesen.Young also criticized the Regina Bypass project built by French company VINCI for almost $2 billion."One time while having a beer I did the math. And did you know if you built, if you paved that bypass out of toonies, it would still be cheaper than what this government paid to a French company," she said.NDP MLA for Saskatoon Fairview Vicki Mowat complained, "It’s become all too common to see Saskatchewan products not being produced in Saskatchewan, to have Saskatchewan businesses not being included in competitions, to see Alberta licence plates on highways, Mr. Speaker, working construction."Moosomin MLA Steven Bonk, who corrected Young on her pronunciation of 'Keynesian' economics, said the province was bound by the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. He also pointed to the superiority of "the Saskatchewan Party guiding principle: economic growth and job creation through the private sector, not government as the engine of the economy.""Trade has lifted us out of poverty like no other system that’s ever been developed before," Bonk said.
