Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for July 2025:

“Today’s Labour Force Survey shows the impact of U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s tariff threats is being felt across the country, but B.C. will continue the work to defend workers and businesses against these threats, build a strong economy that’s less reliant on the U.S. and create jobs for people in British Columbia.

“In July, B.C. saw jobs losses compared to last month, but so far this year, B.C. has gained 21,400 full-time jobs, the highest increase among provinces.

“Despite Trump’s tariff impacts, this report shows B.C. continues to compare favourably when looking across Canada.

“Private-sector employment is up by 1,500 jobs compared to last month, and B.C. is the only large province with private-sector employment growth in July. Since July 2017, private-sector employment has increased by 179,200 and self-employment has increased by 28,700.

“Our unemployment rate is 5.9%, the fourth lowest in Canada and below the national average of 6.9%. B.C. continues to lead the country with an average hourly wage of $37.75, the highest among provinces, up 2.9% compared to this time last year.

“The data shows that in July, B.C. had employment gains in retail trade with an increase of 14,700 jobs, and an increase of 1,600 jobs in agriculture.

“We have everything we need to thrive here in B.C.: a strong, diversified economy, some of Canada’s fastest-growing wages, abundant natural resources, clean energy, and skilled and hard-working people.

“We’re building our province’s position as the economic engine of a stronger and more self-reliant Canada, moving forward with major projects that put people to work and support strong communities and the services we all need to thrive.

“B.C. is a great place to live, and we’re committed to keeping it that way with investments in economic growth to fund the services people rely on, and create well-paying jobs for British Columbians.”

Learn More:

To learn more about B.C.’s response to tariffs, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/tariffs