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

Employment should have been at year-end high; instead, thousands of jobs were lost, and many British Columbians simply give up hope of finding work


On January 10th, hoping to get ahead of the curve, on what he knew was going to be bad news, Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology, issued a statement declaring that; “The December labour market report closes out the 2019 year showing a resilient economy in British Columbia despite uncertainty around the globe”.

He then went on to proudly state that since the NDP formed government … BC has created over 60,000 jobs.   


Well here, is the reality of BC’s employment situation.

Last month, according the BC Statistics, our provinces labour force was reduced (contracted) by nearly 15 thousand people … and there were over 7,500 fewer jobs available.   

In a month where employment should have been at year-end highs due to holiday shopping, thousands of jobs were lost … with far too many British Columbians simply giving up hope of finding work.

While the Labour Minister was telling British Columbians about having the lowest unemployment rate in Canada, there were in fact 1,200 fewer full-time jobs available … and over 7,500 fewer part-time jobs. Worse hit were those aged 55 and over who saw an incredible 6,500 job losses!

This government, of Premier John Horgan, has seen some of the worst job loses, and labour contractions, in some time ... and information in the provinces Labour Market Survey is not the great news Ralston would have us believe.

Jobs for men 25 and over in this province decreased by over a thousand according to the Labour Market Survey, and for women, there were 4,300 fewer jobs in December.

The only reason the government can claim that at least for women, unemployed remained relatively the same, was because 3,900 women simply gave up hope of finding a job.

While BC’s NDP Labour Minister Bruce Ralston was smugly stating that ‘our province’s economy set the standard across Canada last year with the nation’s lowest unemployment’ ... the reality is, thousands of British Columbians have simply given up hope of employment.   

This is not a record to be proud of.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH: Without a strong local presence, there is NO reason for anyone to tune in to local(?) radio

LOCAL HOMETOWN RADIO IS DYING … and without serious measures put in place, it will likely never see the light of day again. For well over four decades, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has presided over its’ demise, and for that I say, “Shame”. Without out a word to say enough was enough, the CRTC has allowed corporate Canada to buy up one radio station after the other, and then allowed them to slash staff to the point where some so-called local radio stations do nothing more than air programming that originates from communities well outside the region in which they are located. Case in point?   On CHNL* 610 in Kamloops, the morning show hosted by Vinnie and Randi, DOES NOT originate from Kamloops -- it doesn’t even originate here in BC. It’s a program that Stingray airs across multiple radio stations in Western Canada. It doesn’t end there. Not only are Vinnie and Rando doing mornings on CHNL, but they also show up on sister station Country 103 … and of course o...
5 comments
Read more

Conservative Economic Team Responds to Urgent Industry Concerns

 " For far too long, the BC NDP has ignored the economic challenges facing British Columbians. Manufacturing jobs are vanishing, forestry is in decline, and private sector employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, affordability has worsened for both families and businesses. British Columbians deserve better, and we’re here to deliver real solutions to rebuild our economy and create jobs that support everyday working people and their families ." – Gavin Dew, MLA and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economy, Development, and Innovation.   December 3, 2024, Vancouver, BC – The Conservative economic team met today with business leaders and stakeholders to tackle critical issues impacting British Columbia’s economy. Attended by 9 critics from the Conservative Caucus, this meeting was convened by MLA Gavin Dew – Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation - as a direct response to an October 30th open letter from seven of the province’s largest industry associations. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- We need certainly in our markets, and certainly in our fibre supply, before we no longer have a forest industry in this province

Image Government of BC I think we all realize that the threat of Trump’s 25% tariff is like other provocative statements he’s made in the past. That said, we should have reason to be concerned. Tariffs don’t benefit anyone. A tariff of that magnitude – included on our own softwood lumber exports, will make things more expensive for Americans, and cause friction in the supply chain. If imposed, a twenty-five percent tariff will be equally detrimental to the citizens and economy of the United States, as well as the people of BC. There are two things, however, of equal concern to the threat of punitive tariffs by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. One is our antiquated stumpage fees. It is a legacy from decades ago, and one incapable of responding to changing market conditions. We need to revamp our stumpage system to better reflect market conditions, and our economic costs. Instead, a value-added tax system will be instantly responsive to current market conditions and will encou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more