Down from last year but the highest it’s been in 6 months.
That sums up the unemployment rate in the Cariboo region in May.
Vincent Ferrao, a Labour Marker Analyst with Stats Canada, goes over some of the numbers…
“For May, there were 91, 700 people working. A year ago, there were a bit less, there were 87,000 people employed at that time. In terms of the unemployment rate, it was 5.2 percent this May.”
Ferrao says that was down from 6.5 percent in May of 2021 and 10.7 in May of 2020 when we were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, it is also the highest jobless rate since November when it was 5.5 percent.
Ferrao says most of the employment gains in the Cariboo were in the service sector.
“And basically a couple of industries in the services. Wholesale and retail trade is up, as well as healthcare and social assistance. Accommodation and food services have a bit of a decline.”
The national unemployment rate was 5.1 percent last month, while BC’s was 4.5.
Only Quebec was lower at 4.2.
PROVINCIAL JOBLESS RATES
Quebec 4.2%
BC 4.5%
Manitoba 4.7%
Saskatchewan 4.8%
Alberta 5.3%
Ontario 5.5%
Nova Scotia 6.7%
New Brunswick 7.1%
PEI 7.8%
Newfoundland 10.0%