Jake Kennedy
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 11/02) - The Northwest Territories has the highest employment rate in the country according to a new report from the NWT bureau of statistics.

According to the report, released September 6, 73.6-per-cent of people in the NWT were employed in August. The average employment rate across Canada for the same period was 69.4-per-cent.

Dave McPherson of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce said that although the employment rate in the NWT is high, there are still lots of jobs waiting to be filled.

"We've have a very acute labour shortage here in Yellowknife," he said. "Particularly in the service and retail sectors, but also in the trades."

McPherson said employers find it difficult to find employees to move to Yellowknife due to the housing shortage -- a problem he hopes will be lessened when new housing and apartment complexes begin opening this winter.

Of the NWT's 29,500 people over the age of 15, about 21,700 were employed in August -- an increase of 400 people over July.

A spokesman for the NWT Bureau of Statistics said he believes the diamond industry and oil and gas exploration are responsible for the growth.

The report also showed the NWT posted the second lowest unemployment rate in Canada for the month.

The unemployment rate for the NWT in August was 5.7-per-cent, compared to the national average of 7.7-per cent.