Jobless rate down across Canada, but up in BC: StatCan

The Canadian economy added 91,000 jobs in December, bringing the unemployment rate down 0.1 percentage points to 6.7 per cent.

Gains were recorded in finance, education, health care and transportation, while the public sector added 40,000 jobs.

The private sector saw an additional 27,000 jobs.

In British Columbia, however, the unemployment rate increased in December, from 5.7 per cent to six per cent.

There was a mixed picture in the province’s main cities, however:

• Kelowna: 5 per cent (up from 4.7 per cent in November)

• Abbotsford-Mission: 5.7 per cent (unchanged)

• Vancouver: 6.3 per cent (down from 6.4 per cent)

• Victoria: 3.6 per cent (down from 3.7 per cent)

Statistics Canada explained in its data release this morning: “Employment in British Columbia rose by 14,000 (+0.5%) in December. Despite the employment gain, the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.0% in the month, as more people participated in the labour force.

“On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was essentially unchanged.”

Reacting to the data, Minister of Jobs Diana Gibson, said: "As our province, as well as the rest of Canada and the world, meet economic challenges, we are working to attract investment and boost our economy with good jobs that support people to build good lives in BC."

She also pointed to the province's gain of 14,100 jobs in December, as well as GDP growth in 2023 and capital investment in 2022 and 2023.

"I know British Columbians are also keenly aware that workers, families and businesses across Canada and the United States are under the real and imminent threat from the tariffs proposed by the incoming Trump administration," she added.

But Kelowna–Mission MLA Gavin Dew, who also acts as the BC Conservatives' critic on jobs, said "the truth is that BC’s private sector job creation has been dead last in Canada for years."

He added: “There’s nothing here to run a victory lap about. Since the pandemic, the NDP has relied on public sector hiring to pad their numbers. That’s not real economic growth — that’s taxpayers footing the bill for government expansion while the private sector struggles to create opportunities.”

The full dataset from December can be accessed here.