The unemployment rate in the Central Okanagan has risen from 4.9 per cent to 5.3 per cent, Statistics Canada reported Friday.听
There are now 6,400 people in greater sa国际传媒 actively looking for work, up 200 from January. Total employment fell by 5,100, from 120,400 to 115,300.
Last month, the local labour force - a measurement of those either working or actively looking for work - underwent a notable contraction, falling from 126,500 to 121,700. Labour forces generally contract for two reasons: a population drop or people being discouraged in their job search and no longer actively looking for work.听
Over the past two months, however, greater sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 employment-suitable population rose by 500 people, to 209,200. So the data would suggest that a significant number of jobless people in sa国际传媒 are not currently looking for work. If they were, the regionsa国际传媒 unemployment rate would be higher than the published figure of 5.3 per cent.听
Victoria, the provincial capital with a lot of government jobs, again has sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 lowest jobless rate, at 3.5 per cent, which is down from 3.6 per cent in January. Vancouversa国际传媒 unemployment rate is 6.8 per cent, and it is 6.0 percent in Nanaimo, 5.5 per cent in Abbotsford-Mission, and 7.0 per cent in Chilliwack.听
鈥淥nce again we see the strongest employment numbers in Victoria, which explains why the government is oblivious to whatsa国际传媒 happening out here in the rest of the province,鈥 said Gavin Dew, the BC Conservative critics for jobs, economic development and innovation, and the MLA for sa国际传媒 Mission.听
鈥淯nder the NDP, we鈥檙e facing a brutal stack of labour force issues. Private sector job growth hasn鈥檛 been keeping pace with massive growth in the public sector, and overall job growth isn鈥檛 keeping up with population growth,鈥 Dew said. 鈥淚鈥檓 starting to hear a lot of anecdotal stories of people either giving up or packing up and leaving sa国际传媒 for greener pastures where taxes are lower, enterprise is encouraged,and success is celebrated.鈥
But the NDP government pointed to the fact that sa国际传媒 has gained 25,400 full-time jobs since January 1, the highest increase in Canada.听
鈥渟a国际传媒 continues to lead the country with an average hourly wage of $37.89 and our provincial unemployment rate is 6.0 per cent, which is below the national average and the third-lowest unemployment rate among the provinces,鈥 Jobs Minister Diana Gibson said.听
Gibson also said the government is accelerating the approval of 18 major resource projects worth $20 billion that are expected to create 8,000 construction jobs in sa国际传媒听
Nationally, the Canadian labour market felt a chill in February with employment 鈥渧irtually unchanged鈥 from the month before, Statscan said.听
The Canadian economy added just 1,100 jobs last month, well below the 76,000 jobs added in January.听
Februarysa国际传媒 modest gains were enough to keep the national unemployment rate steady at 6.6 per cent.听
CIBC senior economist Andrew Grantham said in a note Friday that Februarysa国际传媒 hiring stall, combined with a looming hit to the economy from the continental trade war, should tip the Bank of Canada toward another 25-basis-point cut next week.
- with files from The Canadian Press听
