Northeast B.C. unemployment rate slightly rises to 4.3% in February

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C – The unemployment rate in Northeast B.C. saw a slight increase in February, according to B.C Stats.

Northeast B.C. employment was down 400 jobs as 39,700 were employed in February compared to 40,100 employed in January. The jobless rate saw an increase to 4.3 per cent last month from 4.1 per cent in January, which continues to be the lowest in the province.

Unemployment is up for February 2020, which was too low to report, and employment was up from 39,400 last year.

Provincially,  the unemployment rate dropped more than a full percentage point between January and February, from 8 per cent to 6.9 per cent. The majority of the 26,600 jobs added in B.C. was part-time employment in retail trade and educational services.

Nationally, the jobless rate dropped over a full percentage point to 8.2 per cent, the lowest since March 2020. A total of 259,000 jobs were added last month after an over 200,000 drop in January.