The unemployment rate continues to rise in the Kootenays.
The March report from Stats Canada shows 5,700 people were jobless – that’s 7.8% of the labour force. In March last year the rate was 5.5%.
The Kootenays’ labour force has shrunk by over 10,000 in the last year.
There are no stats for the West Kootenay specifically so the figures cover the entire Kootenays.
The BC unemployment rate fell to 5.8%. That’s down from 7.1% a year ago.
