Fraser Valley Defies National Trends with Job Growth in Key Sectors

B.C. industry hits branch off from national trends

Across Canada, manufacturing jobs took the biggest hit as tariff uncertainty persisted in the factory industries, but the province held steady against that change.

“The data shows that in April, B.C. had employment increases of 1,800 jobs in the manufacturing sector, which continues to show strong and steady growth overall with gains of 11,300 so far this year,” said Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Diana Gibson in a statement released Friday.

Gains in Public Administration and Retail Trade

Gains were also made in the public administration (+7,000) and wholesale and retail trade (+5,700) industries, while agriculture spiked up with a 33.6 per cent increase from the previous month.

Local Tourism and Consumer Choices Support Economy

“As the tourism season begins, we are seeing people choosing to vacation locally and not travel to the United States. Many British Columbians are stepping up by supporting local restaurants, vacationing in B.C. and choosing locally made products. These everyday choices are a powerful show of support for workers, small businesses and communities throughout our province.”

Sectors Facing Challenges

Accommodation and food services (-10,300) saw the most losses in April across B.C., and natural resources like forestry, mining, and oil and gas extraction (-2,300) also continued to suffer some damage. Local data is not available in the jobs report.

For More Information

More information is available on Statistics Canada’s April Labour Force Survey.

Premier David Eby virtually met with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday, May 7, to discuss the possibility of a U.S. trade agreement on softwood lumber.