BC Stats Infoline
Edition: June 11, 2018
Resources
News by Sector
Economy
Minister’s statement on trade mission
Government Operations
Minister’s statement on trade mission
Multiculturalism
Premier's statement marking one year since the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc’s residential school findings
Services
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Infoline Highlights: Coverage for the week of June 4 - 8
Labour Force Statistics - The unemployment rate in British Columbia was 4.8% in May, down from 5.0% in April and below the 5.6% from 12 months ago. Both the labour force (‑19,200) and the number of employed (‑12,400) contracted since April. Compared to 12 months ago, employment has increased (+3,500) and the labour force declined (‑17,600).
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Housing Starts -The number of urban (areas with population of at least 10,000) housing starts in British Columbia inched up 3.0% (seasonally adjusted at annual rates) in May. The increase in total urban housing starts was due entirely to an upturn in multiple-unit housing projects (+4.6%), as the number of single-family detached starts dipped (-2.1%).
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Exports - The value of B.C. origin exports edged up 0.1% in the first four months of 2018, compared to the January to April period a year earlier. This was despite the fact that exports to B.C.’s largest trading partner, the United States, fell 8.2%. Growth in shipments to other major destinations, such as Mainland China (+2.0%), Japan (+2.6%), South Korea (+3.1%), the European Union (+14.4%), and India (+89.5%) more than offset the decline in exports to the United States.
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Metallic mineral product exports jumped 16.6% year-to-date to April, although lumber exports dropped 16.9% during the same period.
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Current Surveys
- BC Apprenticeship Discontinuers Survey
- BC Assessment Employee Engagement Pulse Survey
- BC Hydro Workforce Profile Survey
- BC Public Service Exit Survey
- BC Student Outcomes Survey of Apprenticeship and Trades Training Students
- BC Student Outcomes Survey of Diploma, Associate Degree and Certificate Students
- Canada-BC Job Grant Outcomes Survey
- FrontCounter BC Customer Satisfaction Survey
- New Job Survey
- School District #62 (Sooke) Work Environment Survey
- Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR) LMAPD Monthly Survey
- Survey on Skills, Competencies and Characteristics for Future Workforce
You can read more about any of these by visiting our Current and Recent Surveys page.

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Did You Know
Less than 11% of plastics are recycled in Canada (the global rate is about 9%), and the amount of plastics entering oceans and rivers is significant - in 2010, Canada released about 8,000 tonnes of plastics into waterways, the weight equivalent of 75 Blue Whales. In an effort to address this isse, 116 recycling depots across B.C. have begun collecting additional flexible plastics such as chip bags, mesh containers and zip lock bags, with the program being offered at all B.C recycling depots by January 2019.
Source: Statistics Canada

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Headlines
- Unemployment in B.C. decreased in April.
- B.C.'s urban housing starts grew in May.
- The value of B.C. exports rose slightly in the first four months of 2018, compared to the same period the year before

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Released last week by BC Stats
- Labour Force Statistics
- Exports
This week
- Quarterly Population Highlights
