Local employment rose while unemployment fell in April

New data on the labour force showed that the employment rate for the economic region that includes Vernon rose in April, while the unemployment rate fell.

Statistics Canada reports that the unadjusted employment rate for the Thompson-Okanagan area was 57.3 per cent in April, while the unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent.

That reflects an improvement from the 56.9 per cent employment and 6.2 per cent unemployment rate from March.

The figures also show improvements on an annual basis, as the rates for the region in April of 2021 were 55.2 per cent employed and 8.1 per cent unemployed.

Provincially, the unadjusted unemployment rate was unchanged on a month-over-month basis at 5.2 per cent, though British Columbia’s unadjusted employment rate did rise to 61.4 per cent.

StatsCan data shows both those figures are improvements from the 7.2 per cent unemployment and 60.3 employment rates from April 2021.

The national rates, which were adjusted for seasonality, did not see much monthly change in April as the unemployment rate fell a tenth of a point to 5.2 per cent. The employment rate was unchanged on a month to month basis at 61.9 per cent.

B.C.’s Jobs and Economic Recovery minister says after eight straight months of job gains, the province saw a slight cool down in April with 2,000 fewer jobs.

However, Ravi Kahlon says B.C. continues to lead the country in post-pandemic job recovery with 92,000 more people working today than before Covid-19 hit.

He says that includes 49,000 more people working in the private sector, adding B.C.’s unemployment rate continues to be among the lowest in Canada at 5.4 per cent.

StatsCan noted that the employment rate represents the number of people age 15 and over who are employed, while the unemployment rate is the number of people age 15 and over who do not have jobs.