Prince George’s unemployment rate rose nearly 10 per cent between June and July, according to data released on Friday by Statistics Canada.
Prince George’s unemployment rate rose from 5.3 per cent in June to 5.8 per cent in July, Statistics Canada reported. Unemployment in the city was comparable to July 2021, when the city’s unemployment rate stood at 5.7 per cent.
The increase in the unemployment rate wasn’t driven by fewer jobs, however, but by more people seeking work. The city’s workforce participation rate – the number of working-age adults working or actively seeking work – increased from 68.8 per cent in June to 71 per cent in July. The city’s workforce participation rate also stood at 71 per cent in July 2021.
As of July, 55,400 people held jobs in Prince George and 3,400 people were looking for work. That compares to 53,900 working in June and 3,000 seeking employment.
In July 2021, 54,200 people were working and 3,300 were seeking employment in Prince George, Statistics Canada reported.
The unemployment rate in Prince George was higher than the provincial average, which increased from 4.6 per cent in June to 4.7 per cent in July. However, the labour force participation rate in the city remains higher than the provincial average, which held steady at 65.1 per cent.
"B.C.'s strong economic recovery and low unemployment rate continue to help lead Canada's economic outlook,” B.C. Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation Ravi Kahlon said in a statement released on Friday. "The province added 14,900 full-time jobs last month, while our unemployment rate remained historically low at 4.7 (per cent).”
The national unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 per cent, the lowest recorded rate since comparable statistics became available, Statistics Canada reported. The country also saw a 12.2 per cent drop in the number of people unemployed long-term.
“From May to July, of the people who had been continuously unemployed for 27 weeks or more in the previous month, an average of 21.0 (per cent) left the labour force, 12.0 (per cent) transitioned into employment, and 67.0 (per cent) remained unemployed (three-month moving averages, not seasonally adjusted,” a Statistics Canada report said.
