Prince George’s unemployment rate rose nearly a full percentage point to 8.8 per cent in June, up from 7.9 per cent in May, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Friday.
The number of people employed in the city dropped from approximately 49,300 in May to 48,500 in June. The number of people seeking work increased from 4,200 to 4,700 over the same period.
The city’s labour force participation rate, the percentage of people working or actively seeking work, dropped from 63.8 per cent in May to 63.3 per cent in June.
In June 2022, there were 54,600 people working the city, 2,600 people were seeking work, the unemployment rate was 4.5 per cent and the labour force participation rate stood at 69.2 per cent.
Prince George’s unemployment rate was significantly higher than the provincial (5.6 per cent) and national (5.4 per cent) averages.
"Earlier today, Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey reported that B.C.'s economy is holding steady with a decrease in part-time jobs and increase in full-time jobs in June, with a total of 28,400 full-time jobs added to the economy so far this year,” B.C. Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey said in a statement issued Friday. “With global inflation and labour shortages, we recognize this is a challenging time for many, but our economy remains strong.”
