Economic Scan - Saskatchewan: 2025
Demographics
Highlights
- Saskatchewan had the second highest proportion of workers aged 65+ of the western provinces, at 21.7% after B.C. (22.8%), despite having the smallest population.
- Workers aged 55+ accounted for 35.4% of Saskatchewan's population in 2025, the third lowest proportion out of all provinces after Manitoba (34.4%) and Alberta (32.0%).
- Workers aged 15-19 accounted for 18.6% (6,300) of Saskatchewan's unemployment, the highest proportion out of all age groups.
- Workers aged 15-24 accounted for 15.6% of Saskatchewan's population aged 15 and over, higher than the national average at 14.5%.
Saskatchewan's population was nearly 1.27 million in 2025, a 1.5% increase from 2024. Saskatchewan represents 3.0% of Canada's total population.
Indigenous people comprised 11.8% of Saskatchewan's population aged 15+ in 2025. Indigenous people also comprised nearly a fifth of the population aged 15-24 (19.6%), much higher than the Canadian average (5.6%). Among the provinces, Saskatchewan had the second lowest unemployment rate (9.3%) for Indigenous people.
In 2021, 14.4% of Saskatchewan's population identified as part of a visible minority group. South Asians and Filipinos each represented about 4% of the population. The proportion of visible minorities was lower than other provinces, except the Atlantic provinces.
Saskatchewan had the lowest proportion of immigrants outside of the Atlantic provinces in 2025, with immigrants comprising 16.5% (159,600) of its working population in 2025. Immigrants in Saskatchewan accounted for only 1.7% of total landed immigrants in Canada.
People with disabilities comprised 29.8% of Saskatchewan's population aged 15 and over in 2022. Among individuals in the labour force aged 15 and over, 23.7% identified as persons with disabilities. The employment rate in 2024 among people with disabilities in Saskatchewan was 51.5% compared to those without disabilities at 68.7%.
Source: Statistics Canada — Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) 2022; Labour Force Survey and Labour Market Socioeconomic Indicators (2024)
Labour Market Conditions
In 2025...
Employment increased (+2.5%)
Unemployment decreased (-2.3% or -800)
Unemployment rate decreased to 5.2%
Participation rate was unchanged (+0.0%)
Show data table
| Year | Unemployment Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 5.2 |
| 2016 | 6.5 |
| 2017 | 6.4 |
| 2018 | 6.1 |
| 2019 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | 8.3 |
| 2021 | 6.5 |
| 2022 | 4.6 |
| 2023 | 4.7 |
| 2024 | 5.4 |
| 2025 | 5.2 |
- Saskatchewan had the lowest unemployment rate in Canada in 2025. Saskatchewan was the only province to record a decrease in its unemployment rate (-0.2 percentage points), remaining below the national average of 6.8%.
- The lowest unemployment rate within Saskatchewan was in the Yorkton-Melville region at 3.4%, while the highest unemployment rate was in the Regina-Moose Mountain region at 5.8%.
- The average monthly job vacancy rate in 2025 in Saskatchewan was 3.12%, second highest among the provinces after B.C. (3.26%).
Economic Conditions
Saskatchewan's Economic Drivers in 2025
Growth in agriculture and mining
Expanding international trade to new markets
Continued population growth
Source: Signal49 Research. Provincial Five-Year Outlook. October 2025.
Show data table
| Year | Forecasted GDP Growth Rate |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.0% |
| 2026 | 2.1% |
| 2027 | 2.6% |
| 2028 | 2.6% |
Reviewing 2025...
- The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada signed a $1.6B agreement to extend the province's subsidized child-care agreement for another five years.
- The $1B McIlvenna Bay copper mine project, slated to begin production in 2026, was added to the list of major projects by the federal government.
- Investments in building construction totaled $6.50 billion in 2025, a 19.5% increase from 2024.
- Saskatchewan's crop production reached a record 41.9 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 2025, 24.1% above the 5-year average. Canola and lentils reached record highs of 12.2 MMT and 2.9 MMT, respectively.
Risks to the Saskatchewan Economy in 2026
- Changing U.S. and Chinese tariffs, particularly on agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors will continue to present challenges for the province's economy.
- Wildfires in Saskatchewan cost the economy over $500M in 2025. The estimate includes direct damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, as well as indirect impacts on supply chains.
- Decreasing consumer and business spending amid slower economic growth.
- Fluctuating commodity prices and volatility in international trade may create uncertainty in Saskatchewan's resources sectors and cool government investments.
Regional Issues
Migration
Saskatchewan's interprovincial migration deficit decreased from 2024 to 2025 by 17.9%. In 2024/25, 18,282 people left Saskatchewan for other provinces, and 15,776 people left other provinces for Saskatchewan, resulting in a 2,506 deficit. Domestic interprovincial migration was lower in 2025 than in 2024 overall.
Industry Trends
Show data table
| Industry (NAICS) | Employment Change ('000s) | Percent Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | +9.0 | +9.6 |
| Construction | +5.0 | +11.7 |
| Public administration | +3.6 | +9.7 |
| Agriculture | +1.6 | +5.9 |
| Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing | +1.3 | +4.7 |
| Other services (except public administration) | +1.2 | +4.6 |
| Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas | +1.2 | +5.5 |
| Accommodation and food services | +1.1 | +3.5 |
| Information, culture and recreation | +0.9 | +4.2 |
| Utilities | +0.8 | +12.9 |
| Business, building and other support services | +0.5 | +3.8 |
| Educational services | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| Transportation and warehousing | -1.9 | -6.6 |
| Wholesale and retail trade | -2.6 | -2.6 |
| Manufacturing | -3.0 | -9.3 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | -3.4 | -9.3 |
- Among all industries, employment in health care and social assistance increased the most (+9.6% or +9,000) from 2024 to 2025. The industry also had the highest total employment (102,700) in 2025. The province is working to attract and retain nurses and doctors though targeted recruitment programs.
- Professional, scientific and technical services experienced the largest employment losses (-9.3% or -3,400) in 2025. Despite the losses, there are ongoing plans for the construction of AI data centers and new biomedical facilities in the province.
- Utilities posted the largest percentage change over 2025, with employment increasing by 12.9% from 6,200 to 7,000. New renewable energy projects and an increased focus on the development of nuclear power via small modular reactors may bolster employment opportunities in this sector.
Regional Economic Conditions
- Employment in Yorkton-Melville increased by 9.0% in 2025, EMP Metals began construction on Project Aurora, a new lithium demonstration plant in Stoughton set to come online in 2026.
- Swift Current-Moose Jaw was the only economic region to have a drop in employment, decreasing by 0.2% (-100) in 2025. Capere Canada is developing a new 150MW $485M AI data centre project in Moose Jaw. The facility is expected to create up to 1,050 jobs.
Employment Change by Economic Region, 2025
Show data table
| Economic Region | Percent Change (%) | Employment Change ('000s) |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkton-Melville | +9.0 | +3.3 |
| Regina-Moose Mountain | +4.2 | +7.8 |
| Saskatchewan | +2.5 | +15.2 |
| Prince Albert and Northern | +1.3 | +1.3 |
| Saskatoon-Biggar | +1.2 | +2.8 |
| Swift Current-Moose Jaw | -0.2 | -0.1 |
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