B.C. Employment Stumbles in July, Losing Over 16,000 Jobs After Months of Growth – CTV News

CTG | B.C. Employment Stumbles in July, Losing Over 16,000 Jobs After Months of Growth

After several months of steady employment gains, British Columbia’s job market hit an unexpected snag in July, with the province shedding roughly 16,300 positions. The drop was led by significant cutbacks in construction, education, and health care.

Data from Statistics Canada’s latest Labour Force Survey shows the provincial unemployment rate rising to 5.9% from June’s 5.6%, interrupting what had been a solid year for job creation. Goods-producing sectors bore the brunt of the losses, with construction alone seeing about 7,600 jobs vanish. In the services sector, education lost approximately 4,200 roles, while health care and social assistance saw a decline of around 3,200 positions.

Even with the slowdown, B.C.’s jobless rate remains better than the national average of 6.9%. Canada overall saw employment fall by about 41,000 in July.

Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon pointed to U.S. tariffs as one of the pressures weighing on the labour market.

On the Ground: Small Businesses Feeling the Pinch

For Vancouver bike shop owner Paul Dragan, rising costs are making it harder to expand his team. “We’ve only hired when absolutely necessary, and my core staff is working longer hours,” said Dragan, who runs Reckless Bikes. “Everything—rent, taxes, payroll, supplies—is going up. The only thing going down is my salary.”

Youth employment is also struggling. In B.C., unemployment among 15- to 24-year-olds jumped to 14.6% in July, matching the national rate and marking the highest level since 2010 outside of the pandemic years. The employment rate for youth slipped to 53.6%, its lowest since 1998 when pandemic data is excluded.

Dragan said a federal wage subsidy helped him bring on a few students this summer, but without that support, those positions would not have been possible.

Source: CVT News