It is a sign the economy is starting to pick up some steam in southeast Saskatchewan. The latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, released on Friday, show there were roughly 800 more people working in February, compared to January.

The turnaround comes after seven straight months of job losses in the region. The number of those working, however, is still a far cry from February of 2016, when the unemployment rate was 3.5 per cent. On February, the unadjusted rate was 5.1 per cent.

The number of people who are engaged in the labour force was also up in February. This is the number of people employed, or actively looking for work. With a labour force of 45,400 in February, it is an increase from 44,600 in January, and the first increase in that number since April of last year.

Provincially, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.0 per cent, which dropped from 6.4 in January. The national unemployment rate also fell from 6.8 per cent to 6.6.