B.C. employment rate sees small gains in March amid economic turmoil

Maryse Zeidler · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 1:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Statistics Canada released Canada's jobs numbers Friday, revealing that British Columbia's employment complaint had a tiny summation successful March compared to the erstwhile month. 

However, regions passim British Columbia appeared to beryllium coping otherwise with planetary economical uncertainty. 

B.C.'s employment complaint roseate by 0.2 per cent past period to 6.1 per cent, according to StatCan, with 5,700 jobs gained, which it said is not a important change.

Nationally, the unemployment complaint was 6.7 per cent successful March, up from 6.6 per cent successful February. That's a alteration of 33,000 jobs crossed the country.

Ontario had the astir occupation losses, with the latest study showing 28,000 jobs mislaid successful that state past month, resulting successful an unemployment complaint of 7.5 per cent. 

B.C.'s neighbour, Alberta, besides suffered immoderate of the biggest losses, with 15,000 less jobs. That province's employment complaint is present 7.1 per cent. 

Saskatchewan gained the astir jobs — 6,600, starring to an unemployment complaint of 4.9 per cent.

Diversifying trade

Diana Gibson, B.C.'s curate of jobs, economical improvement and innovation, said successful a written connection that the province's unemployment complaint is 1 of the lowest successful the country, and little than the nationalist average.

"As British Columbians braced themselves for different week of uncertainty from the United States, our authorities continues to basal beardown for people, instrumentality enactment and support our jobs," Gibson said successful the statement. 

"All implicit the world, radical are looking for caller trading partners arsenic the tariff menace present impacts countries astir the globe. We are moving to diversify our commercialized to enactment our businesses and support and make much jobs."

Gibsons besides pointed retired that B.C. leads the state with the highest hourly wage among the provinces, astatine $37.64.

Variations by sector

But immoderate sectors successful B.C. took much of a beating than others. 

Statistics Canada's numbers amusement that the wholesale and retail commercialized sector suffered the biggest occupation losses past month, with 8,900 less radical employed. 

That was followed by a class called "other services," which includes household idiosyncratic services and repairs and maintenance, with 7,700 jobs lost. 

The biggest occupation gains were successful wellness attraction and societal assistance, with an summation of 6,600, followed by the information, civilization and recreation sector, up 6,600. 

Variations by city

Statistics Canada besides released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving mean unemployment rates for large cities. It cautioned, however, that the figures whitethorn fluctuate wide due to the fact that they are based connected tiny statistical samples.

Here are the jobless rates for March by metropolis (numbers from the erstwhile period successful brackets):

• Abbotsford-Mission, B.C. 6.1 per cent (5.5)
• Chilliwack, B.C. 6.6 per cent (7.0)
• Kamloops, B.C. 5.6 per cent (4.8)
• Kelowna, B.C. 5.8 per cent (5.3)
• Nanaimo, B.C. 6.0 per cent (6.0)
• Vancouver 6.7 per cent (6.8)
• Victoria 3.6 per cent (3.5)