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By Caden Fanshaw

Jobs

‘The north will be fine’: BC Jobs Minister on rising Cariboo unemployment numbers

Apr 14, 2023 | 5:22 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The latest jobs numbers for the Cariboo region and Prince George are not like they were a year ago. After being touted as being some of Canada’s best, our region has now become BC”s worst in terms of unemployment.

In March 2023, Prince George’s unemployment rate fell to 6.2 percent, over a point higher than the national average.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here and it’s true while the unemployment rate is a little bit higher than the rest of the province, it still is relatively low,” said Brenda Bailey, BC Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation. “I think the north will be fine.”

Overall BC’s unemployment rate sits at 4.5 percent, an improvement from a year ago.

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Jobs critics were quick to point to government inaction leading to major losses in the Cariboo and Northern BC. Todd Stone, Shadow Minister for Jobs for the BC United Party said it is time the government embarks on a private sector jobs plan to stimulate the economy in rural BC.

Long-term job outlooks do not provide any reassurance for the Cariboo which is currently seeing BC’s highest unemployment rate at 7.1 percent for March, up from 6.6 percent in February. That number is a two-year high for the region.

Forestry was blamed as one of the main sectors seeing big job losses province-wide, while construction and healthcare held relatively steady month-to-month, although compared to last year numbers are down across the board including participation meaning the number of people working.