Nunavut’s workforce was showing a gradual recovery as of April but the job gains were concentrated in the capital city.
Four hundred more people were working in Iqaluit in April compared to February, according to Statistics Canada. That put the number of employed people in the territory at an estimated 12,100.
The overall employment rate rose by 0.5 per cent to 48.3 per cent in April 2021 compared to April 2020. In Iqaluit, the employment rate jumped to 85.5 per cent from 75.4 per cent over that same time frame. However, that was before the COVID-19 state of emergency was put in place.
There was also a gulf between Inuit and non-Inuit workers in terms of the employment rate. While non-Inuit realized an increase to 91.7 per cent employment from 85.5 per cent, Inuit saw a one per cent decrease, from 38.1 per cent to 37. 1 per cent during the April 2020 to April 2021 period.
The job gains were also skewed toward female workers, whose place in the workforce rose by 3.8 per cent over the past year, whereas men held steady. The employment rate for women stood at 49.6 per cent as of April 2021. Among men, it was 47.1 per cent.