The North Coast-Nechako area, including the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District, saw little change in unemployment rates.
StatsCan released new data on unemployment across the country last Friday. (Feb. 10th)
According to the data, the three month average for our area in January was slightly down to 4.7 per cent compared to last year’s 4.8 per cent.
This is up from last month’s average of four per cent, which Statistics Canada Analyst Vincent Ferrao said is likely due to seasonal jobs ending.
“In January, we had 2,200 people unemployed and a year ago, we had 2,100, so about the same.”
Ferrao said that the average population working totaled 45,100 people, up from last year’s average of 42,100 people working.
“The increase in employment was mostly felt in the accommodation and food service industry”
He explained that the increase in total population was correlated with teenagers entering the working population.
The province saw steady gains with the recent stats showing the unemployed population was 4.2 per cent.