Statistics Canada says B.C. gained 25,000 jobs in May — an increase of 0.9 per cent compared to May.
This increase partially offsets a 1.3 per cent drop in February and March, representing a decrease of 39,000 jobs, but the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.8 per cent.
“As new and escalating tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, combined with the ongoing war in Iran, continue to raise costs and create uncertainty for people and economies around the world, British Columbia is building a stronger, more resilient economy,” Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth Ravi Kahlon said.
“Despite global challenges, investors continue to show confidence in B.C., with $88-billion worth of proposed major projects moving forward.”
Kahlon says these projects are forecast to create tens of thousands of well-paying jobs in the province.
“This strength is also reflected in the private sector, where B.C. saw the second-largest increase in Canada, adding 14,800 new jobs in May.”
Vancouver saw its unemployment rate drop 0.6 percentage points to 6.4 per cent in May, according to the data, but remains almost unchanged year-over-year.
Kahlon says upcoming events will continue to boost the local economy.
“By hosting major global events like FIFA World Cup 2026 and Web Summit Vancouver, B.C., is creating new opportunities for businesses, boosting tourism, attracting investment and supporting jobs throughout the province,” he said.
“This is reflected in the 5,700 new accommodation and food-services jobs added last month, with a total growth of 17,400 jobs over the past year.”
Seasonally adjusted figures show B.C.’s full-time labour force increased by almost 34,000 jobs compared to April, but it was down close to 39,000 jobs compared with May 2025.
Canada-wide, employment increased by 88,000, up 0.4 per cent over April, and the unemployment rate dipped 0.3 percentage points to 6.6 per cent.
BMO economist Benjamin Reitzes says the national numbers should “silence the recession crowd.”
“The Canada story remains the same: the economy is hanging in there, despite the headwinds from trade and now energy prices,” Reitzes said in a note to investors.
“Just when you think Canada is crumbling amid a string of negative data points, things reverse.”
He says these rebounds have been seen a few times over the past year.
“The economy isn’t booming, but it isn’t falling apart, either.”
This optimism comes just days after Trump revived his rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state. His comments come on the heels of StatsCan reporting Canada’s economy had shrunk two quarters in a row. This led to talks of the country entering a technical recession, but the C.D. Howe Institute’s Business Cycle Council says this data isn’t sufficient to call a recession, urging caution over reading too much into the data.
source: CityNews
