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In a crowded jobs market, 58-year-old John Duhault says he has often been sidelined by employers who prefer younger recruits willing to work for less.

After the geophysicist lost his job at an oil and gas producer two years ago, he picked up a couple contracts working as a consultant, but he hasn’t found anything since last fall.

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The safety gap of employment insurance runs out in a month, leaving him scrambling to generate income.

“The market doesn’t want an old fart,” said Duhault, who has dipped into his retirement savings to stay afloat. “They’d rather have a cheaper, young punk.”

Alberta’s economy shed nearly 19,000 jobs last year, nearly in line with losses it posted in 2015, though the number doesn’t fully describe the pain that has largely been concentrated in sectors hit by low energy prices.

Employment in the province’s natural resources and manufacturing industries fell by a combined 39,000 positions in 2016, which saw oil prices plummet below $27 per barrel in February before trading above $50.

Losses in these goods-producing industries were somewhat offset by the service sector, which employs three in four Albertans and added 34,000 jobs last year, economist Trevor Tombe noted.