Latest Unemployment Rate Lowest in 4 Years
Friday, December 7, 2012 @ 10:02 AM
Prince George, B.C.- The latest unemployment rate of 5.2% in Prince George is not a record low, but it is the lowest it’s been in nearly four years. In January of 2008, the unemployment rate in P.G. was 5.0%, and the lowest mark before that was in May of 2007 when it was 3.9%.
The latest stats are being welcomed by B.C. Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, Pat Bell, who says the Prince George workforce numbers show net growth since November of 2011 “We are still above the 50,000 number which is really a benchmark for us. I think if you look at the history of Prince George, we’ve had probably six or 7 months where we’ve been over the 50 thousand mark, and 51,200 is up 1800 over a year ago.”
Province wide, the job growth came in the sectors which have been the focus for the Province’s job creation plan “In forestry gas and mining we are up 8900 full time jobs” says Bell.
Nearly all of the job losses in the Province were part time positions and most occurred in the Lower Mainland, where nearly 4700 jobs, mostly part time, were lost. “I have always lived by the philosophy that if you get rural B.C.’s economy growing, then B.C. will look after itself and I think its just a matter of time before that kicks in.”
Earlier this week, Bell was in the Kitimat Terrace region where he says the mood is very good “The unemployment rate in that region actually dropped this past month, so we’re finally at a level in that part of the province that is looking more respectable, up 200 jobs in a small area with only 38 thousand, 39000 people working.” He credits the restart of a mill , work on the Northwest Transmission line and the Red Chris mine as being key factors in that region.
“Generally in the fall we see some decline” says Bell “ so in Prince George, to see some growth is a positive thing, as we get into December we will likely see some growth in part time work as a result of the retail activity. 5.2% is pretty low. I’m not sure that we will crack that, but we’ll see where it will go, I am optimistic overall.”
Comments
What great numbers. Prince George and the central interior are leading the nation in job growth and a nation leading low unemployment rate. Both the Federal government and the BC Government deserve applause for these outstanding employment achievements. If we could expand CNC and train up skilled trades workers faster, we could probably be lookng at about 3% unemployment. We should be doing everything we can to encourage the Feds and BC Govt to work together to increase the openings in our skilled trades training. Let’s go BC!
I think we should fire Pat Bell & Christy Clark before everyone sees these results – they are going to foil our plans to vote in the NDP if this keeps up.
How about we come up with scheme that points out they were just very very lucky.
Living in Alberta and working in BC doesn’t do all that much for our local economy. Last I heard they were delivering food and drink to the Kitimat construction site from Alberta…..just go to Dawson creek and you’ll see 60-80% Alberta license plates.
Must have been more than a few job losses due to the NHL lockout too…time to legislate them back to work.
Players, their business managers and their association “lawyered up” which caused firms to hire more juniors …. and fans who used to spend money at games spent it elsewhere …. etc. etc.
Hockey does not create wealth …. it redistributes it … the reverse then happens when hockey disappears .. the wealth gets redistrtibuted elsewhere where there is opporunity to spend for entertainment and for advertising.
Check your numbers when you are getting information from Pat Bell.
Here are the total population for Terrace and Kitimat in 2011.
Terrace—8335
Kitimat—11486
Total—–19,821.
This number includes every man, women and child in those two cities. So how can we have 38,39000 people working.
Lets go a bit further.
Pr Rupert—-12,508
Houston——3147
Smithers—–5404
So the total population for Pr Rupert, Terrace, Kitimat, Smithers, Houston, in 2011 is 40,880, of which Mr. Bell states 39000 are working. The only way this would be possible, would be by using slave, and child labour, and even then you would come up short.
I think in fact employment is up in the area, certainly Kitimat, Terrace, and Highway 37, and the number of jobs ie; 200 seems to make sense. However forget the 39000 people working in the area.
False stats for votes!
Everything is so good in BC now we must vote the Liberals back in.
Finally, Dragonmaster gets it! I knew you’d catch up with the rest of us one day.
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