Unemployment rates continue to rise in northwest BC while job vacancies continue to remain high.
That’s according to the annual BC Checkup: Work report released by the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC (CAPBC).
As of October, there were about 3,200 unemployed residents in the region, which is up from 2,000 residents one year ago.
This also means the unemployment rate shot up from 2.5 per cent to 6.8 per cent.
“Employment levels were similar to last year and about the same as they were before the pandemic,” said Jeanne MacNeil, CPA, CA, partner at Edmison Mehr Chartered Professional Accountants.
“Attracting workers remains a challenge for many businesses, despite the recent increase in unemployment.”
Things in the service sector remained unchanged compared to last year while the social assistance and health care sector lost about 2,400 employees.
The goods sector also lost about 1,300 workers, mostly in construction, with a small increase in manufacturing and natural resources.
“The slowdown in construction employment is something we have seen across the province, as higher interest rates and worker shortages put pressure on the industry,” concluded MacNeil.