Alberta's jobless rate jumped to 7.2 per cent in July, from 6.8 per cent in June, reaching its highest level since June 1996, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released Friday by Statistics Canada.

In Edmonton, the unemployment rate was seven per cent in July, compared with 6.5 per cent in June. Calgary's rate increased to 6.9 per cent from 6.6 per cent. The figures are based on three-month moving averages.

Although 45,000 jobs were lost across the country, the national unemployment rate was unchanged from June, at 8.6 per cent.

Alberta lost 11,900 full-time jobs in July while the number of people working part time went up by 8,100.

Credit delinquents jump in Calgary

Meanwhile, the number of people failing to make payments on their debt has jumped more in Calgary than any other Canadian city, according to Equifax Canada.

The credit agency said the delinquency rate — defined as someone who hasn't made a payment in the last 90 days — shot up in Calgary by 35 per cent from June 2008.

The high rate of job losses and reduced work hours in Alberta are probably the biggest reasons behind the bad debt, said Tracy Watson, a spokeswoman with Money Mentors, a credit counselling service in Calgary.

"If people hadn't been getting their emergency fund in place and being a little bit prepared for a recession, certainly missing some payments is going to be the first thing they do if they don't have the income coming in," she said.

Watson said credit delinquents are not necessarily headed for bankruptcy, but added that people often wait until it's too late to work out other options.