B.C. ranks behind only Alberta in job growth since June 2011, according to new Statistics Canada figures.
B.C. created 53,000 jobs in the past year, whereas Alberta added 55,400 jobs, StatsCan reported.
The new jobs helped the province’s unemployment rate fall 0.8 percentage points to 6.6%.
“Steady progress this month is a good indicator that we are on the right track,” said Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.
“Our government is attracting new investment in times of global economic turbulence, and we are diversifying our exports like never before.”
In June alone, B.C. added 3,600 jobs, including 2,400 full-time positions.
StatsCan noted that manufacturing continues to show the most employment growth in B.C., generating 10,600 jobs in June alone. Other strong areas for job growth in June were health care and social assistance (6,200 jobs), business, building and other support services (4,600) and educational services (4,100).
Overall, B.C.’s labour force remains steady at 2,485,800, reported the federal data cruncher.
