Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 20/99) - The NWT has a stable employment rate according to a labour force survey released last month.

The good news is employment numbers for aboriginal people are on the rise.

In 1989, 41.8 per cent of aboriginal persons aged 15 and older were employed while in 1999 the figure rises to 47.9 per cent.

Aboriginal employment numbers have consistently been highest in Yellowknife, followed by Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik, then the rest of the communities.

The overall employment rate in the NWT during the January to March 1999 timeframe when the survey was conducted was 67.5 per cent.

"One of the most positive findings from the survey is the growth in the number of jobs in the NWT has kept pace in the last few years with the growth of population," said Education, Culture and Employment Minister Michael Miltenberger.

"As well, there has also been a significant improvement in the level of employment among aboriginal people."

Miltenberger said the survey highlights some areas to look for better solutions.

"Youth unemployment continues to be very high at 25.7 per cent," he said, citing an area of concern.

"We must continue to focus our activities on improving access to Northern employment opportunities for our youth."

The survey shows that labour force characteristics vary significantly by age and sex, for aboriginal and non-aboriginals and by geographic area.

Males were more likely than females to be in the labour force with a participation rate of 82.1 per cent compared to 74 per cent for females.

However, males also had a higher unemployment rate at 15.4 per cent compared to 11.6 per cent for females.

Aboriginals were less likely to be in the labour force, having a participation rate of 65.3 per cent compared to 89.2 per cent for non-aboriginals.

Among those aboriginals in the labour force, females had a higher employment rate than males (49.9 per cent to 46 per cent).

The survey also showed a high variation in unemployment rates in various communities.

For example, the unemployment rate is above 40 per cent in Rae lakes, Rae-Edzo, Trout Lake and Wrigley.

By comparison, communities with unemployment rates under 10 per cent include Inuvik, Norman Wells, Hay River and Yellowknife.