The Saskatchewan government is vowing to help 440 workers being laid off from their PotashCorp jobs in the province.
“Obviously, this is not good news for those employees and their families,” Premier Brad Wall said last week after the layoffs were announced. “We will be immediately dispatching our rapid response teams to provide support and explore other opportunities in other sectors.”
Premier Wall said it is “fortunate that this has occurred at a time of relative labour market strength and that our economy today is more diversified than ever.”
“Our economy is strong enough to absorb this kind of job loss,” he added.
Premier Wall said Saskatchewan has already seen job losses in the natural resource sector this year, while at the same time, thousands of new jobs have been created in other areas.
The Saskatoon-based PotashCorp says soft demand for potash and phosphates is behind the layoffs.
A total of 1,045 employees are being let go, with New Brunswick and Florida among the other jurisdictions absorbing the impact.
PotashCorp reported its weakest quarter in three years in October, CBC reported.
– Compiled from a Government of Saskatchewan news release, with files from The Reminder
