PG’s unemployment rate down slightly
PRINCE GEORGE — Prince George posted a slight decline in the unemployment rate last month to 6.2 per cent from 6.6 per cent the previous month .
Year-over-year however, the numbers are rising with the unemployment rate at 3.8 per cent in March of last year.
Construction, manufacturing and education were the hardest hit sectors in our region.
Nationally, Statistics Canada reports the economy created 35,000 jobs last month, with gains in transportation and warehousing, business, finance and real estate.
The unemployment rate held steady at a near-record low of five per cent.
This morning’s report shows the percentage of people unemployed in March who had been out of work for 27 weeks or more was 16 per cent, down from 20.3 per cent a year ago.
But economists are continuing to forecast a significant slowdown this year and pullbacks in consumer spending that will slow sales at businesses.
Those factors are expected to filter through to the labour market.
