The unemployment rate rose in Prince George in July, the latest labour force data from Statistics Canada reveal.
The city’s three-month average unemployment rate ending in July climbed to 5.2 per cent, up from 4.4 per cent in July 2024.
At the same time, the number of people working in Prince George dropped from 54,300 in July 2024 to 49,670 in July 2025. That's a loss of more than 4,600 jobs.
Key sectors in the decline include wholesale and retail trade as well as manufacturing, StatsCan reported.
These industries posted the sharpest employment losses locally. In contrast, the forestry sector saw modest employment gains.
The situation in Prince George what's happening across the rest of BC. The province saw a loss of 16,000 jobs in July — a 0.5 per cent decline — with the unemployment rate up 0.3 percentage points to 5.9 per cent.
Most job losses in BC were concentrated among core-aged women (25 to 54 years old), Statistics Canada reported.
Nationally, the unemployment rate held steady at 6.9 per cent, despite the country losing 41,000 jobs, primarily in the private sector and among youth aged 15 to 24.
Across Canada, employment fell by 0.2 per cent in July. The biggest national sectoral declines were recorded in information, culture and recreation (-29,000) and construction (-22,000). On the other hand, transportation and warehousing added 26,000 jobs, the first increase in that industry since January.
Long-term unemployment continues to be a concern. Nearly 24 per cent of unemployed Canadians had been job searching for 27 weeks or more, the highest level in over two decades (excluding pandemic years).
Despite the downturn, average hourly wages grew 3.3 per cent year-over-year to $36.16.
