The unemployment rate in the Cariboo region continues to trend in the right direction.
Julian Alvarez, a Labour Market Analyst with Stats Canada, says “the unemployment rate last month was 5.8%, which is 1.3% lower than April of last year.”
That 5.8% was also the 7th straight monthly decline in the Cariboo, and the lowest it’s been since last July.
Alvarez says there was roughly 8 thousand more people working in the region in April.
“In terms of employment, there were about 86,000 people employed for Cariboo for April. This number is about 8,000 employees higher in the same month of last year. In terms of those unemployed, the Cariboo had 5,300 unemployed people. That is a reduction of about 700 people when compared to last year.”
The biggest gains were in wholesale and retail trade and manufacturing.
“Wholesale and retail trade saw an increase of 5,100 employees, followed by manufacturing which was by 3,500.”
Alvarez says there were some declines in natural resources (2,700) and in healthcare and social assistance (1,200).
The national unemployment rate was 6.9 percent last month, down from 7.1 in March, while BC’s jobless rate was 6.8%, up slightly from 6.7 in March.
PROVINCES:
- Manitoba – 5.0 per cent
- Saskatchewan – 5.6 per cent
- Quebec – 6.2 per cent
- Nova Scotia – 6.3 per cent
- British Columbia – 6.8 per cent
- Alberta – 7.0 percent
- New Brunswick – 7.2 per cent
- Ontario – 7.5 per cent
- Ontario – 8.0 per cent
- Newfoundland and Labrador – 10.0 per cent
