Alberta will be pushing forward with infrastructure projects in a bid to create jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A plan to accelerate infrastructure work will be announced by Premier Jason Kenney at a news conference at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. He'll be accompanied by Alberta's ministers of finance, infrastructure and transportation.

According to employment statistics released by Statistics Canada on Thursday morning, Alberta's jobless rate increased in March by 1.5 per cent, from 7.2 to 8.7 per cent. This is higher than the national average of 7.8 per cent.

Only the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador reported unemployment numbers higher than Alberta.

More to come.