Prince George’s unemployment rate increased by 0.6 percentage points between April and May, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Friday.
The unemployment rate in Prince George rose from 3.8 per cent in April to 4.4 per cent in May. At the same time, the labour force participation rate – the percentage of working-age adults employed or actively seeking employment – increased from 66.9 per cent to 68.6 per cent, meaning more people were seeking work.
"Our unemployment rate throughout the province shows our efforts to build a StrongerBC. Led by Victoria at 4.0 per cent, other cities of note are Prince George at 4.4 (per cent, not seasonally adjusted), Abbotsford-Mission at 4.4 per cent and Kelowna at 4.5 per cent,” B.C. Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said in a statement issued on Friday
In May 2021, the city’s unemployment rate was 6.1 and the labour force participation rate was 69.1 per cent.
Prince George’s unemployment rate was just below the provincial average, which dropped from 5.4 per cent in April to 4.5 per cent in May. The national unemployment rate set a new record low for the third month in a row, dropping by 0.1 percentage points to 5.1 per cent.
"As we focus on creating an economy built for everyone, B.C. continues to lead Canada's economic recovery with the addition of 5,100 new jobs in May. B.C. saw a shift from part-time to full-time jobs with gains in the private sector,” Kahlon said. "The unemployment rate in B.C. has dropped to a three-year low of 4.5 (per cent), which is a rate not seen since July 2019. There are now nearly 100,000 more people working in B.C. than prior to the pandemic.”
In May 2021, the provincial unemployment rate stood at seven per cent and the national unemployment was eight per cent.
Prince George’s labour force participation rate is above the provincial (64.9 per cent) and national (65.3 per cent) rates.
"May and June mark the start of many students re-entering the workforce for part-time seasonal employment. This is welcome news for many businesses facing labour shortages, especially in the hospitality and tourism sector,” Kahlon said. "But we know we need to do more. Right now, there are more jobs than people in the province. With more than one million jobs forecast over the next decade, we remain laser-focused on meeting our generational commitment to close the skills gap and train more people for the jobs of the future.”
