Unemployment in the Rocky Mountain House statistical area dropped in October while jobless rates rose in other parts of Alberta.

According to the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate fell to 5.6 per cent in October from 6.3 per cent in September.

The Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River area was tied with Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake for the second-lowest unemployment rate in the province. The Red Deer statistical area had the lowest rate at 5.3 per cent.

Unemployment in Alberta’s biggest city, Calgary, crept up slightly to 6.6 per cent while Edmonton dropped by about the same amount to 7.3 per cent.

While numbers improved in West Central Alberta, October also saw the overall jobs picture soften somewhat across the province.

Alberta’s unemployment rate rose 0.9 percentage points to 7.4 per cent in October compared with September.

While the rate was up from the previous month, it was down 0.3 percentage points from October 2025.

Month over month, employment decreased by 24,300 positions. Employment grew among people aged 55 and over but fell among 15 to 24-year-olds and 25 to 54-year-olds.

Compared with September, employment increased in the public sector by 12,600 and decreased in the private sector by 18,200 and among the self-employed by 18,700.

However, Compared with October 2025, private-sector employment grew by 39,700 and public-sector employment increased by 500.

In October, employment rose in nine of 16 industries compared with the previous month. The biggest gains were in construction, public administration, and accommodation and food services.

Alberta’s unemployment rate was tied with Ontario for the fourth-highest in Canada. Alberta’s rate is now above the national unemployment rate of 6.7 per cent.