Total average year-to-date employment in Saskatchewan was up 1.8% or 10,400 positions in December 2019 over the same period in 2018.

Year-to-date employment in December 2019 was up over the same period in 2018 in Agriculture (2,408), Manufacturing (2,608), Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (1,175), Professional, scientific and technical services (1,617), Business, building and other support services (525), Educational services (1,908), Health care and social assistance (2,033), Information, culture and recreation (1,550), Accommodation and food services (3,167), Other services (2,433), and Public administration (658).

Year-to-date employment in December 2019 was down in Resource Extraction (-842), Utilities (-683), Construction (-2400), Wholesale and Retail Trade (-3683), and Transportation and warehousing (-2033).

The average year-to-date unemployment rate dropped from 6.2% in December 2018, to 5.4% in December 2019. Year-to-date, the average number of unemployed is down from 37,350 in December 2018 to 33,333 in December 2019. With employment advancing by 10,400 it can be assumed that the majority of the drop in unemployed were absorbed into the employed labour force.

Year-to-date October 2019 average weekly earnings are up 2.3% over October 2018. 

• Sub sectors that posted increases were: Goods producing industries (3.3%), Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (6.8%), Manufacturing (3.5%), Non-durable goods (4.2%), Durable goods (3.7%), Service producing industries (2.1%), Trade (0.1%), Retail trade (1.5%), Transportation and warehousing (7.1%), Information and cultural industries (2.9%), Real estate and rental and leasing (0.5%), Professional, scientific and technical services (4.7%), Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (5.8%), Educational services (0.1%), Education special (0.4%), Health care and social assistance (5.6%), Arts, entertainment and recreation (1.9%), Accommodation and food services (3.8%), Other services (except public administration) (1.9%), and Public administration (2.3%). 
• Sub sectors that posted declines were: Construction (-0.8%), Wholesale trade (-1.9%), Finance and insurance (-1.5%), and Management of companies and enterprises (-14.8%). 

*Average wage data by industry can be found in table format under "Available Downloads" at the bottom of the report.

October 2019 year-to-date retail trade is down by -0.5% over the same period in 2018. Sub sectors that posted increases were: Used car dealers (25.0%), Gasoline stations (3.6%), Health and personal care stores (2.0%), Grocery stores (2.4%), General merchandise stores (0.6%), and All other (0.8%). During the same time period, New car dealers (-4.4%), Furniture and home furnishings stores (-1.1%), Electronics and appliance stores (-28.8%), Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-3.1%), Clothing and clothing accessories stores (-4.5%), Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (-1.7%), and Beer, wine and liquor stores (-2.2%) posted declines.

October 2019 year-to-date new motor vehicle sales were down -2.6% from October 2018. New minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses sales were up 0.5%, while New passenger cars sales were down -15.4%.

October 2019 year-to-date wholesale trade was up 4.0% over the same period in 2018. Farm product merchant wholesalers (6.6%), Building material and supplies merchant wholesalers (0.4%), and All other (449.6%) posted increases, while Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers (-12.0%) and Machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers (-7.9%) saw declines.

October 2019 year-to-date restaurant receipts were up 1.4% over the same period in 2018. Within restaurant receipts, Special food services (0.05%), Full-service restaurants (2.3%), and Limited-service eating places (2.5%) increased. At the same time, declines were noted in Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) (-14.2%).

Total International merchandise exports were down -4.2% year-to-date November 2019 over November 2018.

Sub sectors that posted increases were: Metal ores and non-metallic minerals (4.6%), Basic and industrial chemical, plastic and rubber products (19.8%), Industrial machinery, equipment and parts (4.2%), Motor vehicles and parts (9.2%), Aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts (279.2%), Consumer goods (12.2%), and Special transactions (1.9%).

Sub sectors that posted declines were: Farm, fishing and intermediate food products (-4.1%), Energy products (-9.0%), Metal and non-metallic mineral products (-21.8%), Forestry products and building and packaging materials (-21.6%), and Electronic and electrical equipment and parts (-24.6%).

Construction employment declined throughout 2018 and, with weak housing and residential building permit activity, all through 2019. Year-to-date December construction employment was down by 2,400 positions or -4.9% from the same period in 2018.

December 2019, total year-to-date housing starts are down by -927 units or -31.1%. Year-to-date declines were widespread across all sub-categories: singles (-275 units or -22.3%), semi-detached (-36 units or -21.8%), row (-64 units or -19.4%), and apartment and other types (-552 units or -44.0%).

November 2019 year-to-date building permits are down -8.3% over the same period in 2018. The only sub sector to once again post an increase was commercial (12.0%). During the same time period, residential (-17.0%), industrial (-12.2%), and institutional and governmental (-30.8%) posted declines.

December 2019 year-to-date Information, culture and recreation employment was up 7.7% or 1,550 positions over the same period in 2018.

2019 Q4 Provincial population was up 1.0% over 2018 Q4 to an all-time high of 1,178,657 on the strength of a historic 5,500 person surge in international in-migration.

October 2019 year-to-date manufacturing sales are down by -8.1% over the same period in 2018.

Sub sectors that posted increases were: Fabricated metal product manufacturing sales (24.3%).

Sub sectors that posted decreases were: Food manufacturing sales (-0.3%), Machinery manufacturing sales (-10.3%), and All other Manufacturing sales (-13.4%).