By Greg Fry

Unemployment rate remains high in Kamloops

Jan 5, 2018 | 10:46 AM

KAMLOOPS — B.C. may have the lowest unemployment rate in the country, but it’s a different story here in Kamloops.

Fresh numbers released Friday by Statistics Canada reveal unemployment in B.C. dipped two-tenths of a point last month to 4.6 per cent, edging out Quebec – at 4.9 per cent – for the lowest rate.

But in Kamloops, Stats Can analyst Vincent Ferrao says the unemployment rate was 10.4 per cent in December, up from 7.2 per cent in December 2016.

He attributes that increase to more people looking for work.

“The 10.4 per cent represents about 7,700 people. So, 7,700 people were looking for work compared with 4,800 a year ago.”

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Ferrao says there were also more people working in Kamloops last month – 67,000 – compared to 62,000 a year ago.

“We had 74,300 people in the labour force in December 2017 compared to 66,700 in December 2016.”

Nationally, Ferrao says the jobless rate dropped to 5.7 per cent last month, the lowest level in more than 40 years.