Thompson-Okanagan has lowest employment rate in B.C.

The Thompson-Okanagan region has the lowest employment rate in the province, and unemployment is back up to where it was during the pandemic. An annual report from the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC showed the Thompson-Okanagan region’s workforce had some challenges in the past year. Unemployment in the region is at 5.2 per cent which is 1.7 per cent higher than it was in Sept. 2023, according to a press release from the organization.  “The unemployment rate increased back to where it was two years ago,” accountant Karen Christiansen said in the release. “It’s not an alarming figure on its own, but coupled with a sustained drop in the employment rate, I would say it's cause for concern.” Full-time employment fell between September 2023 and September 2024 by 5.7 per cent, or 13,800 workers. The working-age population grew by 13,700 during the same time period, which dropped the employment rate by 2.7 per cent to 55.4 per cent. “The region had the lowest employment rate in the province,” Christiansen said. “While many challenges weren’t unique to the region, like higher interest rates and population aging, it was also a very difficult year for the agriculture industry.” READ MORE: MATCHMAKING SERVICE: Young Agrarians hook up wannabe farmers with land in Okanagan https://infotel.ca/inwine/matchmaking-service-young-agrarians-hook-up-wannabe-farmers-with-land-in-okanagan/it106983 The region saw a cold snap in the winter which damaged grape vines and some orchards. The closure of BC Tree Fruits Cooperative also made it harder for some farmers to get their crops to market. There were 3,600 fewer agricultural workers in September 2024 than the year before. “It was a devastating year for a lot of farmers in the region, and that had knock-on effects for workers further down the supply chain,” Christiansen said. “The overall economic impact was substantial and highlights the importance of building a diverse and resilient economy.” The goods sector employment was steady at 71,300 workers and the natural resource industry added 6,000 jobs. The region's services sector saw a marginal drop to 229,300 workers, and public administration lost 5,300 workers. Click here for the report. https://www.bccpa.ca/getmedia/20a7a3d1-2efd-4794-a132-8f6ab7a686fc/BC-Check-up-WORK-2024.pdf To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. Find our Journalism Ethics policy here. https://infotel.ca/newsitem/code-of-ethics/it106782 We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .