The southwest employment rates made some big gains during the month of September vaulting them into one of the top five regions in the nation.

The unemployment rate for the Swift Current and Moose Jaw region now sits at 3.8 per cent, an improvement of 0.3 per cent in a year-over-year comparison.

Saskatchewan's overall unemployment rates remained the same from Septemeber 2016 to September 2017 at 6.3 per cent, a percentage-point rise in a month-over-month comparison.

Meanwhile, Canada's unemployment rates continue to decline considerably over the past year, from 7.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent.

The southwest region is ranked third best in Canada for its unemployment rate - an improvement of three spots in a month's time.

The area composed of approximately 81,600 people had a decrease of 400 since 2016. Of the 52,200 in the labour force (3,400 lower than a year ago), 50,200 are working and 2,000 are unemployed.

In a month-over-month comparison, the Swift Current and Moose Jaw area improved its employment rate by four percentage points since July's figures.