British Columbia added 3,500 jobs in January while its unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage points to 6.1 per cent, Statistics Canada’s labour force survey shows.
The gains followed a loss of 3,300 jobs in December.
Across Canada, employment slipped by 25,000 jobs in January amid a shrinking labour force, and the national unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 6.5 per cent.
Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said the figures show B.C. staying strong amid ongoing trade tensions and tariffs imposed by the United States.
“Despite these challenges, B.C. is seeing continued strength in labour market performance in areas such as health care and social assistance, construction, and wholesale trade,” Kahlon said in a statement Friday.
Kahlon said an increase of 6,200 health-care jobs reflects B.C.’s efforts to attract more health-care professionals to the province.
He noted women’s employment grew by 7,800 jobs last month. Unemployment for women aged 25 and over declined half a point to 5.0 per cent in January. Men’s unemployment also fell 0.4 points to 4.9 per cent.
B.C. added 9,300 jobs in the information, culture and recreation sector, which ranges from television and film to sports events and ski resorts.
Most of B.C.’s losses in January were in the education sector, which shed 8,100 jobs. Wholesale and retail trade also lost 5,500 positions.
Public administration lost 3,100 jobs in January, but the sector was up 2,700 jobs compared with January 2025.
The B.C. Conservatives said public-sector job growth is outpacing the private sector.
“With debt at record highs and another massive deficit budget coming, David Eby has spent years weakening the very economy he’s depending on to pay for his surge in spending,” said Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna-Mission and critic for jobs. “When the first rung on the ladder disappears, the entire climb becomes harder, and that’s happening because this government has hamstrung the private sector.”
He also pointed to rising youth unemployment as another indicator of a weakening labour market. B.C.’s youth unemployment rate rose to 13.8 per cent last month, up 1.5 percentage points from a year earlier and higher than the national youth rate of 12.8 per cent in January.
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