Total average year-to-date employment in Saskatchewan was up 2.0% or 11,380 positions in October 2019 over the same period in 2018.

Year-to-date employment in October 2019 was up over the same period in 2018 in Agriculture (2,780), Manufacturing (2,480), Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (1,200), Professional, scientific and technical services (1,800), Business, building and other support services (670), Educational services (1,870), Health care and social assistance (2,440), Information, culture and recreation (1,270), Accommodation and food services (3,210), Other services (2,520), and Public administration (390).

Year-to-date employment in October 2019 was down in Resource Extraction (-910), Utilities (-560), Wholesale and Retail Trade (-3630), and Transportation and warehousing (-2020).

The average year-to-date unemployment rate dropped from 6.3% in October 2018, to 5.4% in October 2019. Year-to-date, the average number of unemployed is down from 38,540 in October 2018 to 33,360 in October 2019 with the majority of these being absorbed into the employed labour force.

August 2019 year-to-date retail trade is down by -0.6% over the same period in 2018. Sub sectors that posted increases were: Used car dealers (34.2%), Gasoline stations (2.7%), Furniture and home furnishings stores (1.4%), Health and personal care stores (3.3%), Grocery stores (3.2%), and General merchandise stores (0.8%), During the same time period, New car dealers (-6.1%), Electronics and appliance stores (-31.5%), Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-0.9%), Clothing and clothing accessories stores (-4.0%), Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (-0.7%), Beer, wine and liquor stores (2.2%), and All other (-0.2%) posted declines.

August 2019 year-to-date new motor vehicle sales were down -1.7% from August year-to-date 2018. New minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses sales were up 0.2%, while new passenger cars sales were down -12.8%.

August 2019 year-to-date wholesale trade was up 5.0% over the same period in 2018. All other (483.4%) posted increases, while Farm product merchant wholesalers (-2.4%), Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers (-11.7%), Machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers (-8.2%), and Building material and supplies merchant wholesalers (-0.1%) saw declines.

August 2019 year-to-date restaurant receipts were up 2.1% over the same period in 2018. Within restaurant receipts, Full-service restaurants (2.8%) and Limited-service eating places (3.6%) increased. At the same time, declines were noted in Special food services (-2.2%) and Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) (-14.3%).

Total International merchandise exports were down -1.6% year-to-date September 2019 over September 2018.

Sub sectors that posted increases were: Metal ores and non-metallic minerals (14.5%), Basic and industrial chemical, plastic and rubber products (21.5%), Industrial machinery, equipment and parts (4.9%), Motor vehicles and parts (14.6%), Aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts (341.3%), Consumer goods (21.1%), and Special transactions (4.4%).

Sub sectors that posted decreases were: Farm, fishing and intermediate food products (-1.7%), Energy products (-10.7%), Metal and non-metallic mineral products (-16.7%), Forestry products and building and packaging materials (-21.1%), and Electronic and electrical equipment and parts (-27.0%).

Construction employment declined throughout 2018 and, with weak housing and residential building permit activity, into the first 10 months of 2019. Year-to-date October construction employment was down by 2,110 positions or 4.3% from the same period in 2018.

October 2019, total year-to-date housing starts are down by -997 units or -37.3%. Year-to-date declines were noted in all sub categories: singles (-256 units or -25.0%), semi-detached (-20 units or -14.4%), row (-73 units or -25.8%), and apartment and other types (-648 units or -52.7%).

September 2019 year-to-date building permits are down -7.9% over the same period in 2018. The only sub sector to post an increase was commercial (16.7%). During the same time period, residential (-18.1%), industrial (-17.1%), and institutional and governmental (-28.1%) posted declines.

Year-to-date employment in October 2019 was up 6.2% over the same period in 2018 in Information, culture and recreation.

2019 Q3 Provincial population was up 1.0% over 2018 Q3 to 1,174,462 on the strength of international in-migration. With increasing employment, this can be expected to continue throughout the rest of 2019.

August 2019 year-to-date manufacturing sales are down by -8.2% over the same period in 2018.

Sub sectors that posted increases were: Food manufacturing sales (1.8%) and Fabricated metal product manufacturing sales (29.1%).

Sub sectors that posted decreases were Machinery manufacturing sales (-7.4%) and All other Manufacturing sales (-14.9%).