As Saskatchewan's government is attempting to mend its projected $1.2-billion deficit, the uncertainty of locking down a job in the public sector is pushing graduates to search outside of the province's borders.

"Originally, I had hoped to be in Saskatoon but unfortunately that looks like that is going to be a little difficult," Tricia Florence, a nursing student at the University of Saskatchewan, told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.

She said with threats of wage rollbacks and layoffs, finding a job in another province sounded more appealing.

"Hearing more about the politics and the financial situation ... I guess I woke up a little bit to what's actually going on," she said, adding that many of her fellow classmates are in the same boat.

Tricia Florence says she is considering leaving the province to find work after graduation. (Victoria Dinh/CBC)

Carolyn Hoffman, executive director of the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses' Association, said Florence's woes are common among many new graduates, as well as nurses currently practising in the field who are trying to lock down a permanent full-time position.

The association caters to 11,000 registered nurses across the province, interacting with approximately 500 nursing students regularly.

Hoffman said there currently about 100 job postings for registered nurses in Saskatchewan, but the vast majority of them are temporary, casual or part-time positions in small centres. Very few openings are offered in larger urban centres like Saskatoon.

"Overall, it is concerning," she said.

A way to combat the problem and keep new graduates in the province would be to develop a co-ordinated and comprehensive provincial health human resources strategy, she offered.

"I think it's important that employers reach out and talk about how best to bring in these new graduates and how to make them feel supported and be supported in starting their career."