As oil prices rebound, Saskatchewan still lags behind Alberta in economic growth. (Don Pittis, CBC) Albertans are rebounding from the oil slump better than their neighbours to the east.

Over the past year, Alberta has increased the number of people working, wholesale trade, average weekly earnings, building permits and retail sales, while Saskatchewan saw losses.

"They crashed much harder, but they came back much stronger," said Greg Poelzer, a professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan.



"If there's bigger swings, you have a bigger economy, more capital, a larger labour market, you can absorb the blows much better," said Greg Poelzer, a professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan. (CBC) Poelzer said with roughly five times Saskatchewan's population and spending power, Alberta took on record deficits after 2014, while its eastern neighbours spent the past two years tightening their belts.

Lack of rail cars a 'double hit' for Saskatchewan

He said with extensive delays in rail shipments and most oil currently being shipped by train, Saskatchewan also faces a unique hurdle.

"Even when oil prices were low, we were still shipping oil by railcars at about 70 per cent of the volume we were when oil was above $100 a barrel," said Poelzer.

He called the lack of rail car capacity "a double hit" to Saskatchewan's economy.

"We produce half of Canada's wheat, we can't get that product to market," said Poelzer. "It really hurts us more than it would in Alberta, which is less dependent on grain exports."

Saskatchewan ranks 'dead last' in creating jobs: NDP

"By every measure I've been able to see, Alberta is outpacing us when it comes to economic growth," said Vicki Mowat, the NDP's jobs, trade and export development critic. (CBC) Opposition NDP jobs and trade critic Vicki Mowat said jobs in Saskatchewan are evaporating.

"I'm hearing from folks on doorsteps who are struggling to find work," Mowat said, noting Saskatchewan cut $3 million from job skills and training programs in its most recent budget.

Over the past year, Saskatchewan lost 2,700 jobs according to Statistics Canada. Alberta gained 46,000 jobs.

Over the past year, wages rose by more in Alberta than they did in Saskatchewan. (Source: Government of Alberta, Government of Saskatchewan) "We're being outpaced by every other province in the country actually," said Mowat. "We're dead last in Saskatchewan, we have the slowest employment growth. In fact it's negative."

Sask. economy recovering, says minister

Saskatchewan's minister of trade and export development told CBC he does not believe Alberta's economy has outperformed Saskatchewan's since the downturn.

"The reality is that we have economies that are broadly similar," said Jeremy Harrison, minister of trade and export development. He said Saskatchewan's economy did not crash as hard as Alberta's during the downturn. (CBC) "They had a much deeper fall and a greater increase over that period of time," said Jeremy Harrison. "As far as a rebound, there was more room to make up."

Harrison said Saskatchewan's labour market has remained stable, although he's concerned about attracting investment.

He said international rulings have not favoured northern uranium mines, and rail delays have become a thorn in the side of potash producers, forestry companies and farmers.

"You've basically seen a levelling-off," said Harrison. "We're not talking about new investment necessarily, but we're talking about a recovery in prices and energy."

Saskatchewan's population growth a 'massive, massive advantage'

Poelzer said regardless of which party is in power, people move to places where they can build a long-term future. He said neither the NDP nor Saskatchewan Party governments have ever locked resource royalties into a sovereign wealth fund.

Still, he noted Saskatchewan has added more than 141,000 people to its population over the past two decades, something he called a "massive, massive advantage."

"Had this been back 20 years ago, the downturn in oil prices and natural resource prices overall would have been more severe for Saskatchewan," Poelzer said.

"We're going to lag probably about a year behind Alberta and we're going to see similar growth as what Alberta's seen these past number of months," he said.