By Cheryl Jahn

Jobs Minister promotes Economic Plan

Mar 16, 2022 | 4:18 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – BC’s Jobs Minister paid the city a visit for the first time in years to promote the Province’s Economic Plan, weeks after the Labour Force Outlook was released. Since taking government the BC NDP has been criticized by the opposition about the lack of a Jobs Plan and the minister says this is exactly what BC’s Economic Plan Jobs plan is.

“It is a jobs plan and, in fact, it’s tough to be in opposition when you’re trying to criticize a government that has the strongest economic record in the country. Who has more employment now than in the entire pandemic,” says Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs. “So I appreciate they’re looking at ways to critique, but we’re seeing huge growth in the economy. The private sector has 69,000 people working right now than we did prior to the pandemic.”

Prince George and BC have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. But some would argue they come at the expense of the private sector.

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“There’s certainly nothing wrong with public sector jobs. I think they are a huge portion of the economy. In fact, under this government, they are a significantly growing portion of this economy,” says Todd Corrigall, CEO of the local Chamber of Commerce. “But the reality is, to pay for more public sector jobs, you are taxing more.”

But Minister Kahlin argues public sector Jobs are important to a healthy economy.

“Those jobs are important in communities like Prince George,” says Kahlon. “Health care providing care to our loved ones in care homes, early childhood educators. Those are important jobs and we’ve learned from the pandemic that a healthy society and a healthy economy go hand in hand.”

According to the Labour Market Outlook, occupations with the highest anticipated opening at retail and wholesale managers at number one, followed by Professional occupations in nursing at number two, both Secondary and elementary school teachers at number three. the same survey, starting this year, demand for workers is expected to out-grow the actual labour force by more than 42-thousand workers.