The jobless rate in our region ticked up slightly last month compared to the same time last year.
Unemployment stood at six per cent, compared to 5.8 per cent in September 2024, as the number of people employed and the number unemployed both increased as the population grew.
Statistics Canada says 89,100 people were working last month and 5,700 were looking for work out of a population of 150,500. At the same time last year, 86,100 people were working and 5,300 were job hunting out of a population of 148,700.
The local unemployment rate was lower than the national rate of 7.1 per cent and the BC rate of 6.4 per cent.
Stats Can says compared to August of this year, national employment was up among both women and men ages 25 to 54 and fell among those 55 and older. Employment among youth 15 to 24 was unchanged.
More people were working in manufacturing, health care, social assistance, and agriculture, while fewer people were working in wholesale and retail trade. Full-time employment rose while part-time employment declined.
Average hourly wages increased 3.3 per cent to $36.78 per hour year-over-year.
