BC’s unemployment rate rises to 5.6% in May, still below national average

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Statistics Canada’s latest Labour force survey released on June 7th puts British Columbia’s unemployment rate in May at 5.6 per cent. 

The figures show an uptick of 0.6 percentage points in April, and a rise of 0.4 points from April 2023. 

However, it is still below the national unemployment average of 6.2 per cent, up 0.1 points from the previous month. 

B.C.’s is still the third lowest percentage in Canada, sharing that distinction with Saskatchewan. Manitoba had the lowest at 4.9 percent, followed by Quebec at 5.1 percent.

According to the agency, the province gained 2,100 jobs but lost 10,000 full-time jobs during May.  

Full-time employment has grown by 67,400, while part-time jobs have grown by 11,900 over the last 12 months.

The most significant gains throughout B.C. were in the manufacturing sector, which increased by 4.6 percent, or 7,800 jobs, followed by a 2.1 percent jump in fishing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas employment. 

Service-oriented jobs decreased by over 14,000, with slight gains being made by financial, insurance, real estate, and leasing rental jobs (3.9 percent), science and technical jobs (2.3 percent), and public administration (1.6 percent).

Provincially, employment decreased in the private sector by 12,600 while it rose in the private sector by 3,700, and there was a slight increase in self-employed individuals.

Northeast B.C’s unemployment rate was 6.4 per cent, according to the province’s Labour Force Statistics issue released on Friday.