Close to 4,000 Kelowna residents lost their jobs in November.
This serves as the highest number of job losses for any city across the province, according to a B.C. Labour Force Survey.
The unemployment rate in B.C. increased by five per cent last month, compared to 0.3 percentage points in October — up 0.6 percentage points from approximately 12 months ago.
This recent uptick in job losses equates to a 3.6 per cent reduction in Kelowna’s labour force.
READ MORE: Economy lost 71,200 jobs in November, unemployment rate climbs to 5.9%
However, during the same period, in B.C., Abbotsford-Mission gained 1,200 jobs, while Victoria saw a net gain of 5,500 jobs.
The recent shutdown of mills across rural B.C. has significantly impacted the unemployment rate, including Kelowna, which saw a loss of 127 jobs in September. The 127 Okanagan residents lost their jobs after Tolko announced the closure of its mill.
Smaller populated B.C. communities fared worse last month, with 20,900 residents losing their jobs.
Sectors most impacted by unemployment were the goods-producing sector, losing 4,800 jobs, the construction industry losing 3,000 jobs and the manufacturing industry shedding 2,500 jobs.
@connortrembley
connor.trembley@kelownacapnews.com
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