Calgary's labour market had a relatively strong February, bucking a national trend of declining employment. The city's unemployment rate dipped slightly to 6.6 per cent — just below the national average of 6.7 per cent — while full-time jobs grew by nearly 11,000 from January.

Calgary also continues to lead all major Canadian cities in labour force participation, with the highest employment rate among Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Toronto, by comparison, sits at 8.1 per cent unemployment — the highest of the group.

Health care, finance, and manufacturing were among the bright spots, while wholesale and retail trade continued to struggle. Calgary Economic Development says it's keeping a close eye on how trade uncertainty and geopolitical tensions could affect hiring in the months ahead.