The employment picture in Prince George continues to improve as more people head back to work following the peak of the pandemic.
According to Stats Canada’s July Labour Force Survey, the jobless rate in PG dipped to 9.8%, an improvement of just under a point when it was 10.7% in June.
Analyst Vince Ferrao told MyPGNow.com while conditions are improving, we’re still seeing fewer people in the workplace.
“There were 43,900 people working and looking at the same three-month average (May to July) a year ago when had 51,700 people working, a decline of 7800.”
In July of 2019, the unemployment rate was 4.3%.
BC’s unemployment rate fell by two points in July to 11.1%, after posting a 13% jobless mark in June.
“In July employment increased by about 70-thousand, compared to a year ago, employment was down 192-thousand,” added Ferrao.
Just 12 months ago the province had the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 4.3%
Canada added 419-thousand jobs last month as the national unemployment rate declined 1.4% to 10.9.
Here is a provincial breakdown:
- Manitoba 8.2%
- Saskatchewan 8.8%
- Quebec 9.5%
- New Brunswick 9.8%
- Nova Scotia 10.8%
- British Columbia 11.1%
- Ontario 11.3%
- PEI 11.7%
- Alberta 12.8%
- Newfoundland and Labrador 15.6%