B.C. employment rebounds with 25,000 new jobs in May
Province partially offsets early-year losses, but youth unemployment jumps to 15.3 per cent.
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B.C. added 25,000 jobs in May, marking a shift after months of decline—but the gain doesn't fully erase the damage from earlier in the year.
Statistics Canada's labour force survey shows the May increase only partially offsets the cumulative loss of 39,000 jobs recorded in February and March. April saw an additional 4,300 jobs lost, leaving the province down over 40,000 jobs in the first four months of 2026.
Despite the job gain, B.C.'s unemployment rate held steady at 6.8 per cent. More troubling: youth unemployment ticked up from 14.4 per cent to 15.3 per cent in May, even though 7,000 of the new jobs went to young people.
The Business Council of British Columbia warned this reflects a broader crisis. Since 2019, youth employment has declined 14 per cent. Entry-level workers are struggling to find jobs in retail and accommodation—sectors hit by weak private hiring.
"A first job is where young people start building the experience and skills they need," the council's report states. "When tens of thousands of young British Columbians are not getting that start, the province loses future workers, taxpayers, and economic growth."
At the national level, Canada added 88,000 jobs in May, with the unemployment rate falling to 6.6 per cent.