Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on the Cariboo region’s unemployment rate.
Vincent Ferrao, a Labour Market Analyst with Stats Canada, goes over some of the numbers…
“In November, the unemployment rate was at 9.8 percent. When we compare it with a year ago, same time, it was 6.8 percent.”
The 9.8 percent was lower than the previous two months however, as it was 10.5 percent in September and October.
Ferrao says there were roughly 15-hundred fewer people working in the region last month, compared to November of 2019…
“Employment, although the decline is not statistically significant, we never the less had fewer people working. 78,200 people were working this November, compared with 79,700 a year ago.”
Ferrao says most sectors saw small declines…
“We have declines in construction and other services, which include things like personal care and everything we don’t classify in the service industry.  So construction, other services and a little bit in accommodation and food services.  And professional, scientific and technical services went up, and healthcare and social assistance also went up.”
BC’s jobless rate was 7.1 percent, third lowest in the country, behind Saskatchewan at 6.9 percent and Nova Scotia at 6.4
The national rate is 8.5 percent.
Unemployment rates by province
1. Nova Scotia 6.4 percent
2. Saskatchewan 6.9 percent
3. BC 7.1 percent
4. Quebec 7.2 percent
5. Manitoba 7.4 percent
6. Ontario 9.1 percent
7. New Brunswick 9.6 percent
8. PEI 10.2 percent
9. Alberta 11.1 percent
10. Newfoundland 12.2 percent