There were 381,900 fewer jobs in Alberta last month than 12 months earlier (-16 per cent). 

Both full-time and part-time jobs disappeared, with the number of full-time-positions falling by 261,700 (-14 per cent) and the number of part-time jobs decreasing by 120,300 (-29 per cent).

The pain was felt across the economy with jobs disappearing in all 16 of the major sectors tracked by Statistics Canada. 

With that said, the accommodation and food services sector experienced the largest year-over-year decline with nearly half (46 per cent or 66,600) of its workforce either temporarily or permanently laid off. 

The number of jobs in the “other services” sector, which include everything from funeral services and drycleaning to automotive repair and pet care, shrank by 35 per cent (43,400).

Wholesale and retail trade; business, building and other support services; and transportation and warehousing services were all down by more than one in five positions in April.

While most of the contraction in jobs can be attributed to the pandemic, some sectors were experiencing job losses before COVID-19 came to Alberta. Jobs in the business, building and other support services sector, which include everything from office administration to waste management, were already down 20 per cent in January compared to a year earlier.

Similarly, jobs in the forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas sector were down by 7 per cent in January as were jobs in public administration.

The sector that lost the least number of jobs in both absolute (-2,200) and proportionate terms (-2 per cent) was finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing.