B.C. lost 20,200 jobs in September as health care and construction shed workers
The unemployment rate dipped to 6.4%, but economists warn volatility masks underlying softness in the labour market.
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British Columbia lost 20,200 jobs in September compared with August, according to Statistics Canada data released Friday. The province's unemployment rate fell to 6.4%, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month — but the drop came as more British Columbians left the labour force entirely, not because new jobs appeared.
Health care and social assistance led the losses with 10,600 jobs shed, followed by construction at 9,800 and manufacturing at 8,100. Full-time work dropped by 16,700 positions. The bright spot came from professional, scientific and technical services, which added 16,400 jobs, and business support services, up 7,300.
Economists cautioned against reading too much into the single month's weakness. Claire Fan, RBC senior economist, called monthly employment counts "notoriously volatile" and suggested the unemployment rate is "a more stable and reliable gauge of labour market conditions." Fan predicted national unemployment will edge downward more broadly over the remainder of 2026.
Andrew Hencic, TD senior economist, noted that private sector employment held steady despite the labour force decline. Andrew Grantham, CIBC senior economist, said the softness supports the Bank of Canada keeping interest rates on hold, predicting the central bank will maintain its key rate at its October 28 announcement.
