British Columbia Labour Force Statistics: May 2025 Unemployment Rate and Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in British Columbia increased to 6.4% in May 2025, up 0.2 percentage points from one month prior. Compared to April, employment rose by 13,000, while the labour force grew by 23,000, causing the increase in the unemployment rate. The province saw a gain of 15,700 full-time jobs but lost 2,800 part-time positions. Employment rose for both private (+8,900) and public (+6,500) sector workers, as the number of selfemployed workers (-2,300) decreased. Over the past year, the unemployment rate rose by 0.8 percentage points. The labour force grew by 64,500 while employment increased by 34,900. Full-time employment increased by 36,600 whereas part-time employment fell by 1,700.
At 6.4%, British Columbia had the fifth-lowest unemployment rate in Canada in May. Saskatchewan (4.2%) had the lowest rate followed by Quebec (5.8%), Manitoba (5.9%), and New Brunswick (6.3%). Nova Scotia followed in sixth place at 6.5%, with Alberta (7.4%), Ontario (7.9%), Prince Edward Island (8.2%), and Newfoundland and Labrador (9.7%) following behind.
📊 Stay updated on British Columbia’s labour market: www2.gov.bc.ca
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