After one month of decline, local jobless rate increases in July

After enjoying one month of decline, the local jobless rate has increased slightly.

Statistics Canada says the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat unemployment rate rose to 6.4% in July up from 6.2% in June.

That’s after dropping from 6.5% in May – the first month-to-month drop in local unemployment in well over half a year.

At this time last year, the local jobless rate was 4.7%.

The Banff, Rocky Mountain House, and Grande Prairies areas still sit with the lowest unemployment rate in the province at 5.2% while Edmonton remains highest at 7.7%.

Nationally, Canada lost 24,000 jobs last month – moving the unemployment rate from 5.5% in June to 5.7% in July.