New Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey data shows British Columbia lost 20,000 jobs in February, including 33,000 full-time jobs, while the province’s population declined by roughly 3,000 people last month, including 2,000 youth aged 15–24, raising new concerns about the direction of the province’s economy.
Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna-Mission and the Critic for Jobs, Economic Development, Innovation and AI, says the numbers point to a worrying trend for BC’s economy:
“With BC losing 20,000 jobs in February and David Eby on track to lose his own job, no wonder he’s trying so hard to distract British Columbians with silly political games. The NDP jobs minister is seemingly more focused on taking over the Premier's job than protecting private sector jobs for British Columbians."
"Here's a simple economic truth: holding the unemployment rate steady by losing both jobs and population is not a success story," said Dew. "Less people chasing fewer jobs is a downward spiral.”
Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, and young people, 2,000 of them just last month, are leaving BC in search of opportunity elsewhere. "That's not the future we want for our kids and grand-kids,” said Dew.
“Sign of the times: I just talked to someone managing a construction project in Saskatoon, and 99% of the job applications they get are from BC.”
Dew noted that recent job losses in manufacturing, the resource sector, transportation logistics, and trade signal broader weakness in BC’s industrial base.
“The continued imbalance between public sector and private sector job growth is concerning. We need public sector discipline and massive private sector growth to reset the fiscal balance, and that's not happening under this government.”
“We will have a heck of a mess to clean up, but the BC Conservative Caucus is doing the work of preparing a government in waiting with a focus on jobs and the economy.”
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