2025 was not a good year when it comes to the unemployment rate in the Cariboo region.
The year over year jobless rate was up in every single month compared to 2024.
Vincent Ferrao, a Labour Market Analyst with Stats Canada, says that trend continued in December.
“The Cariboo region capped off the year with a rate of 8.1% If we compare it to a year ago at the same time, it’s been trending up, a year ago it was 6.1%.”
Ferrao says the main reason for last month’s increase was that more people were looking for work.
“This December there about 7,200 people unemployed, and a year ago there were a bit less, 5,300 people looking for work. There was no change in the level of employment.”
He says there were minor changes both ways when it comes to the different sectors.
“Basically offsetting changes. More people working on construction, wholesale and retail trade, but fewer people in educational services, natural resources, and accommodation and food services.
The national unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in December, up from 6.5 in November.
BC’s jobless rate was 6.4 percent last month.
Quebec and Manitoba were lower.
- Quebec 5.4%
- Manitoba 5.7%
- British Columbia 6.4%
- Saskatchewan/Nova Scotia 6.5%
- New Brunswick 6.6%
- Alberta 6.8%
- Prince Edward Island 7.3%
- Ontario 7.9%
- Newfoundland and Labrador 10.7%
