The unemployment rate in Saskatchewan went up in March, according to the numbers released by Statistics Canada Friday morning. Their monthly labour force survey showed the unemployment rate went up from 4.7 to 5.0 percent.  

The increase came as the province lost 4,500 jobs in the month of March. These losses were primarily in the wholesale and retail trade sector, and the agriculture sector.  

Regionally, the Saskatoon-Biggar economic region had the lowest unemployment rate in the province at 4.8 percent. The Regina-Moose Mountain economic region had an unemployment rate of 5.0 percent, while the unemployment rate in the Prince Albert and Northern region was 5.9 percent. The Yorkton-Melville region had an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent. The Swift Current-Moose Jaw economic region had the highest unemployment rate in the province at 7.7 percent. 

Despite the loss of jobs in March, Saskatchewan still had the second-lowest unemployment rate among all the provinces, behind only Quebec.  

The national unemployment rate went down in March, from 5.5 percent to 5.3 percent. It is the lowest unemployment rate on record.