This And That

Local bankers see thaw in economy Alberta the place to be to 'ride out' recession - "I'd rather be here in Alberta than anywhere else in the world right now to ride out this recession," said Garth Warner, chief executive of Servus Credit Union

Alberta's jobless rate highest since 2002 - "Alberta gained 5,700 jobs in April but its unemployment rate still inched up to six per cent, according to figures released Friday by Statistics Canada. It’s the highest provincial rate since 2002.

The increase in unemployment from 5.8 per cent in March despite job growth was attributed to the labour force growing by 9,400 people."

He said much of Alberta's problem is that its residents see the bad news and cut back on spending.

"The key message is that we are in a great place, the economy is strong and the banking industry in Alberta is supporting the economy here."

Canada Real Estate Forecast - "The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) recently released its predictions for 2009-2010, and it expects Multiple Listing Service (MLS) sales to decline in 2009 before rebounding in 2010."

Green economy could create thousands of new jobs in Alberta: report - "We're starting to realize that in the long run, a healthy environment is essential for a healthy economy and that the economy can be put to work to improve the health of the environment."

A move toward creating more environmentally sustainable energy sources could provide jobs for electricians, computer and electrical engineers, iron and steel workers, welders, construction workers and sheet metal workers, the report says."