Prince George, B.C.- The unemployment rate in Prince George last month was 6.5%, virtually the same as it was in  the same month a year ago when it was 6.6%The Cariboo   area ( which includes Prince George)  saw  no change at all  in its unemployment rate  which  was  7.1% last month,  the same as it was in October of 2015.  Statistics Canada  says  while there were 2,000 fewer people working  in the Cariboo, the labour force also declined  by the same amount.

British Columbia’s rate  was up slightly to 6.2%   from the  5.7% record in October of 2015.  Stats Canada  says  B.C. continues to have the fastest employment  growth in the country at 2.4%    while the national  average is 0.8%.

Nationally,  the  unemployment rate  held at 7 %  in October,  unchanged from the 7%  unemployment recorded in  the same month a year ago.