Office of the Premier
Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for September 2023:
“Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that B.C.’s economic growth is strong with nearly 26,000 jobs gained in September.
“So far this year, B.C. has added 51,300 jobs, while our unemployment rate saw little change at 5.4%, and remains better than the national average.
“In September, jobs in construction and science and technical services increased, which is good news for the construction sector. Women’s full-time employment increased by 17,000, the most of any province, which reflects our focus on providing more affordable and available child care.
“In addition, SkilledTradesBC's is reporting the province registered more than 41,000 apprentices last year in more than 100 trades, including record numbers of women and Indigenous people. This is encouraging news for the construction industry with B.C.’s housing starts up 15.5% in August, compared to 2022, the highest in Canada. B.C.’s Labour Market Outlook is also predicting 83,000 new job openings in the trades expected over the next decade.
“In September, there was good news for forestry workers with Canfor’s investment in the community of Houston. Canfor’s plans to right-size the Houston mill with a major capital investment, as well as partnerships with First Nations, is a great example of building a strong future of sustainable forestry for workers and communities.
“Over the last few years, B.C. has kept our economy strong through unprecedented crises – like the pandemic, global inflation and climate-related fires and floods. When there’s a slower global economy, we know that investing in people and the services they count on makes our economy stronger.
“We continue to deliver on our StrongerBC Economic Plan, which is helping businesses grow in sectors like clean technology, agritech, maritime industries, hydrogen, life sciences and biomanufacturing, and many more.
Learn More:
To find out more about the StrongerBC Economic Plan, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/plan/
