WATCH: It’s a situation where numbers don’t tell the whole story. Victoria’s unemployment rate rose slightly this January, compared with the same time last year. But employers say the current economy means anyone who wants a job, can get one. As Mary Griffin reports, workers are the hottest ticket.
The biggest loss of jobs in a single month in nine years highlighted January’s unemployment figures from Statistics Canada, while Victoria’s jobless rate gets closer to four per cent.
The agency says jobs fell by 88,000 in Canada last month contributing to a 5.9 per cent unemployment rate, an increase of one basis point from December.
The number was influenced by a drop of 137,000 part-time positions, the largest single-month slump on record.
On the flip side, 49,000 full-time positions were generated in January.
Victoria saw an unemployment increase for the second consecutive month at 3.9 per cent from 3.5.
The jobs survey shows Victoria remains among the lowest in the country with only Quebec City at a lower rate.
The jobless figure fell by more than half a per cent in Quebec City to 3.3 per cent.
The jobless rate in Nanaimo also increased to 4.8 per cent, compared to 4.7 per cent in December.
Compared to January 2017, unemployment in Nanaimo has fallen from 5.9 per cent.
Among provinces, B.C. continues to lead the country at 4.8 per cent.
B.C.’s rate sat at 4.6 per cent in December.
Statistics Canada says 88,000 jobs were lost in January, the biggest one-month drop in nine years. Unemployment in Canada is at 5.9 per cent, 3.9 per cent in Victoria and 4.8 per cent in Nanaimo.
With files from the Canadian Press.
Andy Neal
