The Kootenay unemployment rate has increased dramatically.
Statistics Canada pegs the rate for December at 6.3 per cent, more than two times higher than December 2024 when the rate was three per cent.
The federal agency reports there were about 81,800 Kootenay residents with jobs last month.
That was a decrease of about 3,400 from December of last year, when there were about 85,200 people working.
Stats Can says the number of job seekers increased by around 2,900 in the last year.
According to the national number cruncher, there were about 5,500 people in the region trying to find work last month. The figure for December 2024 was about 2,600.
Nationally, the unemployment rate was 6.8 per cent. Employment rose among people aged 55 and older, while it fell among youth aged 15 to 24.
More people were working in health care and social assistance and personal and repair services while fewer people were employed in professional, scientific and technical services, accommodation and food services, and utilities.
