Wood Buffalo – Cold Lake is seeing an increase in jobs for the second straight month.

According to Statistics Canada’s August report released on Friday, the region added around 1,000 positions. This comes after adding 1,300 spots in July.

Over 73,000 people in the region currently have jobs, the highest amount since April. However, Wood Buffalo – Cold Lake has lost around 4,500 jobs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and transportation and warehousing sectors saw the biggest growth, adding 400 positions month over month.

The forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas sector saw the biggest loss in August, losing around 800 spots.

Meanwhile, the local unemployment rate dropped for the first time in nine months – currently sitting at 11.8 per cent.

The provincial and federal unemployment rates also both dropped, currently at 11.8 per cent and 10.2 per cent respectively.