Unemployment rate in the Kootenays falls to 4.1 per cent in October

The Kootenays unemployment rate fell to 4.1 per cent in October, according to Statistics Canada’s latest labour force report.

The region had 82,300 people employed and 3,500 looking for work, out of a population of 151,700.

In September, 85,300 people were employed and 4,400 were looking for work, while the population stood at 151,500.

Nationally, the unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.7 per cent in October as more people searched for work.

It was the second consecutive monthly increase, although the rate remained 0.2 percentage points lower than a year earlier and below the recent peak of 6.9 per cent recorded in April 2026.

Employment fell by 29,000, or one per cent, in wholesale and retail trade. Construction added 16,000 jobs, an increase of 0.9 per cent, while educational services gained 15,000 jobs, up one per cent.

Average hourly wages rose 2.2 per cent year over year to $37.89 in October, following a 2.3 per cent increase in September. The figures were not seasonally adjusted.

Across B.C., employment rose by 12,000, or 0.4 per cent. The province had a population of 4,848,400, with 2,941,300 people employed and 197,500 looking for work.

The provincial unemployment rate declined to 6.3 per cent in October from 6.4 per cent in September.

To read Statistics Canada’s latest report, click here.