​Women lead the way as employment rises in BC

Greater Victoria continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. September’s numbers from Statistics Canada show our region has an unemployment rate of 4.2%. That’s the same as August, and second only to Quebec City’s rate of 4.1%. The national rate is 6.9% and BC’s rate is 5.9%.
 
“Women, who have been disproportionally impacted by this pandemic, led BC’s increase in employment for the month of September,” Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation said in a news release.
 
Kahlon, who will be the guest speaker at The Chamber’s AGM next week, noted that BC’s average hourly wage has risen to $30.74 an hour, a bigger increase in the past five years than any other province.