Employment rates continue to be strong for those living in the Swift Current and Moose Jaw area.

The unemployment rate for the economic region of the southwest sits at 4.2 per cent for August, the exact same figure when comparing in a year-over-year comparison.

The province of Saskatchewan's overall unemployment increased from 6.2 per cent to 6.5 per cent from August 2016 to August 2017.

Meanwhile, Canada's unemployment rates have declined considerably over the past year, from 7.1 per cent to 6.4 per cent.

The Swift Current and Moose Jaw region is ranked sixth best in the country for its unemployment rate, an improvement of four spots in a month.

The area is composed of approximately 81,600 people - a decrease of 500 since 2016. Of the 52,900 in the labour force (2,300 lower than a year ago), 50,700 are working and 2,200 are unemployed.

In a month-over-month comparison, the southwest region improved its employment rate by a percentage point since July's figures.