Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for June 2022:

“As we mark the halfway point of 2022, our province continues to lead Canada’s economic recovery with strong, clean and inclusive growth. B.C. gained 6,100 new jobs in June, the most of any province in Canada.

“In the month of June, we saw renewed confidence with full-time employment up, gains in self-employment and an increase in our labour force, while most other provinces saw reductions. Our unemployment rate held steady at 4.6%, a significant improvement from 6.4% one year ago.

“We know that many people in British Columbia are struggling as they see costs going up and worry about what the future may hold for them and their family. There is a lot of global uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine and the ongoing effects of the pandemic. These issues have caused global inflation, which has increased the overall cost of living in regions around the world, including Canada.

“We’re taking action through our StrongerBC Economic Plan to support British Columbians and we’re going to keep doing what we can to reduce costs for people, such as:

• lowering the cost of car insurance – $500 per year in savings for some drivers;
• introducing the Child Opportunity Benefit, which, since last October, has been providing as much as $133 a month to help people provide for their families;
• increasing the minimum wage and tying it to inflation; and
• introducing free transit for kids 12 and under, saving families more than $600 per year.

“B.C. has a strong, diversified economy and we are well positioned to handle the challenges ahead. People see British Columbia as place of opportunity. That’s why we are seeing more people come to B.C. In the first-quarter (Q1) update for 2022, the net international migration for B.C. was 20,838 – the highest Q1 in more than 60 years.

“We’ve seen that B.C.’s low unemployment rate is contributing to a tight labour market. That’s why, through our StrongerBC Economic Plan, we’re working to give people the skills they need to take on the jobs of today, as well as the more than one million job openings expected during the next decade.

“Through our goals of inclusive growth and clean growth, our plan is focused on making life better for everyone, while tackling the challenges of today and growing an economy that works for everyone. The Premier says it best, ‘An economy that is built for all is an economy built to succeed.’”

Learn More:

Stronger BC For Everyone: B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/