Retail and wholesale job losses push PG’s unemployment rate up once again

PRINCE GEORGE- Another uptick in the unemployment numbers for Prince George last month, climbing to 7.9 percent from 7.3 percent in April, and 3.9 percent in May of 2022. We saw roughly 5,000 fewer people employed year over year, with retail and wholesale services the hardest hit.

B.C.’s overall unemployment rate held steady at 5.0 per cent last month, but was up from the 4.3 per cent reported in May of last year.

Some 17,000 job losses across the country last month, pushed the national unemployment rate up from 5.0 per cent in April to 5.2 per cent in May. It was the first increase since last August.