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VICTORIA – British Columbia finished 2006 on a strong note, creating nearly 10,000 jobs in December for a total of over 65,000 new jobs in 2006, Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen announced today.
“British Columbia's booming economy has resulted in our province leading the country in employment growth over the past five years,” said Hansen. “Since December 2001, B.C.'s unemployment rate has fallen 4.8 percentage points and, for the twentieth straight month, is in single digits in every region of the province.”
Since December 2001, B.C.’s economy
generated 324,400 new jobs and led the country in job growth. In addition, more
than 90 per cent of jobs created in B.C. since December 2001 have been
full-time positions.
In 2006, British Columbia’s unemployment rate dropped to the lowest levels in over 30 years. The province’s average unemployment rate was 4.8 per cent last year, compared to 5.9 per cent in 2005.
B.C.’s employment growth remained strong last year, continuing to rank above the national growth rate. Over the past year, strong employment gains were observed in several sectors of British Columbia’s economy, including construction, forestry, mining, oil and gas, management, trade, education and health care.
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Communications Manager 250 356-9428 |
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