Todd Stone (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

JOBS FIGURES

BC United feel job figures paint poor picture of private sector challenges

Nov 3, 2023 | 7:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — The provincial government released the October labour force survey on Friday (Nov. 3), with the minister stating the creation of more than 23,400 full time jobs shows B.C.’s economic growth was holding steady, despite the loss of 27,500 part-time jobs.

“So far this year, B.C. has added 47,300 jobs and our unemployment rate remained at 5.4 per cent, the fourth-lowest among provinces. B.C.’s economy continues to show strength in the face of broader challenges, including high national interest rates and a slower global economy,” stated Minister Brenda Bailey in a news release.

Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone believes the NDP government is viewing the numbers through rose-coloured glasses. He questioned the lack of a plan to support private sector jobs in the province, which have been struggling in recent years.

“We have been calling on this NDP government and David Eby, the premier, to put a private sectors job plan together,” said Stone. “The only way we can sustain the services that people need and really focus on ensuring that British Columbians have a bright future is when we have a private sector-led economy that is driving forward. That is simply not what’s happening under the NDP today.”

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Stone highlighted how the past five years of NDP governance in B.C. has been far in a way below the amount of private sector jobs created by the former B.C. Liberal government. He did also address the fact that the NDP were tasked with working through a global pandemic.

“Every other jurisdiction in Canada has recovered fully to the levels they were before to the pandemic,” said Stone. “Every jurisdiction in the world went through the same pandemic. There is no province in the country that is performing as poorly over the last five year period that the NDP are here in British Columbia. You can not sustain economic growth when you are adding five government jobs for every one private sector job. It’s just not sustainable.”