The provincial unemployment rate was up in April, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada. 

The Labour Force Survey for April, released Friday morning, showed the unemployment rate in the province went from 5.0 percent to 5.5 percent. The increase came as there were 900 fewer people working in the province in April than there were in March. This was primarily through part-time employment, as there were 6000 part-time jobs lost in the month, while there were 5100 full-time jobs gained. 

The losses in Saskatchewan were mostly in the goods-producing sector, which includes natural resources, construction and manufacturing. There were gains throughout the province in the services-producing sector. This included transportation and warehousing, real estate and information, culture and recreation.  

Regionally, the Saskatoon-Biggar economic region had the lowest unemployment rate in the province, at 4.8 percent. Yorkton-Melville had an unemployment rate of 5.0 percent, while Regina-Moose-Mountain was 5.9 percent. 

Swift Current-Moose Jaw had an unemployment rate of 6.0 percent, but also enjoyed the largest drop, falling from 7.7 percent in March. 

The unemployment rate for Prince Albert and Northern was 6.6 percent.  

Saskatchewan was one of just three provinces to see an increase in the unemployment rate in April. The unemployment rate of 5.5 is also the fifth-lowest in the country. 

Nationally, the unemployment rate was slightly down from March. It is now 5.2 percent, down from the previous record of 5.3 percent the month before.