Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

As Benjamin Disraeli said … There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics


You may have already heard the BC NDP government crowing about the latest employment stats – if not I’m sure you soon will.  After all, the following sounds great, doesn’t it?

The unemployment rate in British Columbia was 4.1% in October, down 0.1 percentage points from September and down 0.8 percentage points from 12 months ago. The labour force (‑4,100) and the number of employed (‑1,100) also declined from the previous month. Compared to 12 months ago, both employment (+48,400) and the labour force (+30,900) have increased.

Well as Mark Twain said … Facts are stubborn, but statistics are pliable.  Heck, I have to admit I’ve even used the actuals of stats, to make something sound far worse than it was. 

That said, the above quote from BC’s Labour Force Statistic DOES NOT tell the whole story – and it’s the whole story that counts.  As Paul Harvey used to say, “And now …… the rest of the story”


  • there were 12,100 part-time jobs added last month (October) … but at the same time 13,300 full-time jobs were lost.  To see real job growth that creates a healthy economy, BOTH OF THOSE NUMBERS should be on the plus side

  • those 55 and older will be happy at having a better chance of finding work, than those in the 25 – 54 age demo.  In the first group there was increased employment to the tune of 7,300 jobs.  Unfortunately, it was not so good for those in the second group as seventeen thousand three hundred individuals LOST their jobs.

Using stubborn statistics, we have????  A gain of 7,300, followed by a lose of 17,300. 

Or, a NET LOSS of TEN THOUSAND JOBS!

Taking a look at stats on the quickie round we have:

  • public sector (government) jobs in October are down by 7,400 (I honestly find that very hard to believe) 
  • individuals who were self-employed increased by 6,500 – how many of those men and women however gave up trying to find full-time work and instead were willing to try anything to earn a pay cheque? 
  • the October workforce for men increased by 8,100 jobs … HOWEVER for women, it decreased by 3,400


Finally, let me remind you that as Benjamin Disraeli said …. “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

In Kamloops, I'm Alan Forseth.  If you have a thought on this commentary, I hope you will share it directly below in the Comments Section of the blog
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tourists Rack Up $200M in Unpaid Health Bills While BC Patients Wait Years for Care

While British Columbians wait years for basic medical care, the NDP government has allowed non-residents to rack up $200.6 million in unpaid health bills since 2020-2021. New research from SecondStreet.org, obtained through a freedom of information request, revealed that people from outside Canada are coming to BC, receiving health services, and leaving without paying their bills.  The losses span every health region in the province. "British Columbians are not guaranteed timely access to healthcare, be it treatment or diagnostics, and this situation continues to deteriorate under the NDP," said Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island and Critic for Health. "Taxpayers are footing the bill for tourists' health treatments to the tune of over $200 million, enough to cover over 21,000 hip replacements in this province while British Columbians wait months to years for that surgery.” The research found BC has the worst record of any province in Canada examined so far. Under a dec...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Finance Minister Given "F" on Report Card by Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops Centres and Official Opposition Finance Critic, released the following statement in response to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's 2026 Finance Minister Report Card, which ranked BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey dead last among provincial finance ministers in Canada with an overall grade of "F":  "British Columbians didn't need a report card to know things are headed in the wrong direction. They see it every time they pay their bills, try to buy a home, or watch another government deficit pile up. But now an independent national organization has confirmed that NDP Brenda Bailey is the worst-rated finance minister in Canada. "After nearly a decade of decline under this NDP government, British Columbia has become a province where people pay more, government borrows more, and families get less in return. We have some of the highest debt in the country, repeated credit downgrades, and no credible plan to get our finances back on...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more