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B.C. loses 5,500 jobs as unemployment rises to 6.5 per cent
Statistics Canada says B.C. lost 26,000 full-time jobs and added 20,600 part-time jobs in August, lifting unemployment 0.3 percentage points from July.
British Columbia lost 5,500 jobs last month after several months of improvement, and its unemployment rate rose from 6.2 per cent in July to 6.5 per cent in August, according to Statistics Canada’s latest Labour Force Survey.
The province shed 26,000 full-time jobs in August while adding 20,600 part-time positions.
The governing NDP and the B.C. Conservatives offered sharply different readings of the figures. Kiel Giddens, the Conservatives’ shadow minister for labour and economic development, said B.C. was losing full-time work and forestry communities were losing well-paid jobs. He accused the NDP of failing to protect an industry that built many communities, saying mill closures and curtailments leave families uncertain about where the next good-paying job will come from.
The NDP pointed to 50,800 jobs added between May and July, crediting its Look West strategy. The Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth said the survey demonstrated B.C.’s economic resilience in August 2026 and the lowest decline among large provinces.
Acting Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Adrian Dix said new and continuing tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump were creating unjustified challenges for important B.C. sectors, particularly forestry. He said co-operation with the federal government to support businesses, build up the country and invest in job-creating projects was more critical than ever.
RBC said the tariffs were likely implemented too late in August to materially affect that month’s labour figures. It added that early indicators, including Indeed.com job postings, had not shown a significant pullback in hiring demand after the measures.
Across Canada, employment fell by 42,000 in August and unemployment held at 6.4 per cent. Full-time jobs accounted for 36,000 of the losses. Employment was nevertheless up one per cent year over year, with 217,000 jobs added between August 2025 and August 2026. RBC said monthly data are notably volatile; year-to-date employment was up 27,000 in 2026, led by a 46,000 increase in full-time jobs.