BC youth struggle finding employment, labour data shows

(Image courtesy of CBC)

Statistics Canada recently released data from its monthly labour force survey and found concerning numbers for youth workers in BC.

Youth Leaving the Market

While 5,000 workers joined the employed workforce in the last month and the unemployment rate for workers ages 18-24 has decreased, 18,500 British Columbian youths left the labour force altogether during the same period. The labour force includes workers who are both employed and actively seeking employment in the economy. This has likely resulted in the rate of unemployed youth decreasing as fewer are seeking jobs in the current market. 

The participation rate for BC youths is also an area of concern for the province. The current rate is 60.8 percent, a 2.7 percent decrease from May 2025. Compared to other provinces, BC ranked as the third-last, ahead of Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario. 

(Figures are as a percentage)

Province Struggling Both Past and Present

Among BC’s economy as a whole, the goods-producing sector took a large tumble, with 9,900 jobs leaving the province over the last month. BC was one of three provinces that lost jobs in that segment. Alberta and Prince Edward Island only lost 700 jobs in the area combined. The agriculture, utilities, construction, and manufacturing sectors lost 1,100, 1,400, 2,500, and 4,800 jobs in the last month, respectively. 

BC has been a province hit hard by the Canada-US trade war.  With its uncertainty, many in the private sector are choosing to hold their capital or invest in more business-friendly environments. However, BC has had trouble attracting private capital for a while. In 2024, the province was ranked 11th out of 21 comparable economies in business well-being and 15th out of 21 in economic well-being, according to that year’s BC Prosperity Index. With this month's labour report not improving compared to last month's, BC will likely try to find new ways to solve its economic woes.