Local employment statistics trending in positive direction

Aug 5, 2022 | 11:56 AM

Statistics Canada’s monthly labour force statistics shows some positive gains for the Thompson-Okanagan region.

The unadjusted figures for the economic area that includes Vernon shows the employment rate was 60.8 per cent, while the unemployment rate was five per cent.

That reflects positive changes both from June, when the employment rate was 59.6 per cent and the unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent; and from last July, when the local employment rate was 58 per cent and the unemployment rate was 5.1 per cent.

StatsCan noted that the population in the Thompson-Okanagan region in July was 516,900, and that 314,500 people were employed in the area. The report did not provide stats comparing part-time and full-time employment for the region.

British Columbia, as a whole, recorded an adjusted employment rate of 62 per cent and an unemployment rate of 4.7 per cent in July.

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The provincial employment rate was down slightly from June’s figure of 62.1 per cent, but was an improvement from July 2021 when the rate was 61.1 per cent.

Comparatively, the provincial unemployment rate was down compared to June’s 4.6 per cent figure, but up from the 5.6 per cent recorded in July 2021.

“The province added 14,900 full-time jobs last month, while our unemployment rate remained historically low at 4.7 per cent,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation.

“In July, B.C. had the most people joining the workforce among major provinces. This also shows in the first-quarter update for 2022, where the net-migration for B.C. was 23,889 — the highest Q1 in more than 60 years.”

Statistics Canada reports that the industries in B.C. that saw the largest growths month-over-month were Information, Culture and Recreation (+8.7 per cent), Natural Resources (+5.2 per cent) and Utilities (+5.2 per cent). The industries that saw the largest year over year growths were Agriculture (+43.5 per cent), Information, Culture and Recreation (+25 per cent), and Construction (+11.4 per cent).

B.C’s industries that saw the largest declines between June and July were Manufacturing (-4.9 per cent), Agriculture (-2.8 per cent), and Health Care and Social Assistance (-2.4 per cent). The industries that saw the biggest declines since July 2021 were Business, Building and Other Support Services (-14.6 per cent), Utilities (-11.5 per cent), and Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental and Leasing (7.2 per cent).

“We also know employers in key fields, such as health care and child care, need more workers to fill important jobs in B.C. We are training people for these roles, while also working to bring in skilled workers through the Provincial Nominee Program. This program helps address labour shortages in key sectors, such as technology, health care and child care, by providing skilled immigrants with a pathway to permanent residence in B.C.,” added Kahlon.

“To help meet our province’s needs, we are urging the federal government to expand the number of skilled immigrants coming through the B.C. Provincial Nominee Program from 7,000 in 2022 to 10,000 by 2025. This will help address our labour shortage and ensure British Columbians can receive the services they count on.”

The adjusted national unemployment rate was recorded at 4.9 per cent in July, which is the same figure collected the previous month. The 4.9 per cent unemployment rate is a record-low for Canada.

StatsCan did not provide a percentage figure for the employment rate, but did state that 43,000 people left the workforce in July. The agency said the loss was almost entirely due to a decrease among workers age 55 and older. This was the first employment decline not associated with a tightening of public health restrictions since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics Canada also noted that the average hourly wages were up 5.2 per cent compared to July 2021, matching the pace of wage growth recorded in June.

by Liam Verster

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