West Kootenay-Boundary jobless rate rises to 8.6 per cent
By Contributor
The unemployment rate in the West Kootenay-Boundary still high as the figure for rose to 8.6 per cent in July.
Although that number is down from nine per cent in July of 2010, there are 1,200 less people that have jobs in 2011, according to Statistics Canada.
Canada’s unemployment rate dipped to 7.2 per cent in July as the economy added 7,100 new jobs, Statistics Canada also reported Friday.
It was the fourth straight month of job growth, although the gain was weaker than the 15,000 to 20,000 new jobs economists had been expecting. In BC, the province-wide rate was steady at 7.3 per cent.
July unemployment rate
Region
Rate
Change from June (percentage points)
Canada
7.2%
-0.2%
N.L.
11.9%
-0.4%
P.E.I.
11.6%
-0.4%
N.S.
9.5%
+0.8%
N.B.
10.1%
+0.5%
Que.
7.2%
-0.7%
Ont.
7.5%
-0.2%
Man.
5.7%
+0.2%
Sask.
4.9%
—
Alta.
5.5%
-0.1%
B.C.
7.3%
—
Source: Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada said the national unemployment rate dipped mainly because almost 29,000 people left the labour force and were no longer actively looking for work.
The construction, transportation and warehousing, and retail and wholesale sectors led the gains. There were 31,000 more construction jobs, 28,000 more transportation and warehousing jobs and 28,000 more retail and wholesale jobs in June.
On the flip side, there were fewer jobs in health-care and social assistance, while the number of public administration and management jobs was also down.
Natural resources also had an off month and there were fewer jobs in agriculture.
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