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Two years ago, James Davidson was in charge of software for an engineering firm that designed and built facilities for the oil and gas industry.

Today, he’s out of work, even after applying for jobs outside of his field at much lower pay.

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The mechanical engineer with a background in software technology lost his job in January 2015 when work dried up in the oilpatch. Since then, he has applied for jobs at drug stores and car retailers, without a whiff of response in a crowded market.

“It feels like I’m under house arrest,” Davidson said. “I can’t afford to do anything, so I stay at home. There is no socialization. It’s absolutely demoralizing.”

Calgary’s unemployment rate burst into double-digits in October, reaching 10.2 per cent, its highest level since November 1993, which was an economic trough for the entire country.

The city’s jobless rate edged up from 9.5 per cent according to Statistics Canada, although the agency notes its data for cities has a large margin of error based on the sampling size. Calgary’s rate last month was anywhere from 9.5 per cent to 10.9 per cent, it said.