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CRANBROOK, British Columbia, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — According to BC Check-Up: Work, an annual report by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) on labour market trends across the province, the unemployment rate in the Kootenays was 6.8 per cent in November 2025, nearly double the November 2024 rate of 3.6 per cent.
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“The unemployment rate increased from uncharacteristically low levels since this time last year,” said Mike Calder, CPA, CA, partner at MNP Canada. “There tends to be a fair amount of volatility in the monthly estimates, but employment did trend lower as well.”
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There were 82,000 Kootenay residents working in November 2025, slightly fewer than there were one year earlier. Full-time employment fell by 13.1 per cent or 9,200 workers year-over-year, which was partially offset by an increase in part-time work (+4,600 workers; +28.2 per cent).
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“It is safe to say that local labour market conditions are softer, in line with the ongoing trade disruptions and general uncertainty,” continued Calder. “Employment losses were spread across the Kootenay economy, but there were some pockets that held up.”
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Employment in the Kootenay’s goods sector trended lower as the workforce contracted in both the natural resources (-4,200 workers; -45.7 per cent) and manufacturing (-2,300 workers; -31.1 per cent) industries. Meanwhile, construction employment held steady in 2025, following a significant expansion in 2024.
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Services sector employment also edged lower with wholesale and retail trade (-2,400 workers; -17.0 per cent) and educational services (-1,500 workers; -23.8 per cent) posting the largest year-over-year declines. Conversely, employment in the accommodation and food services industry rebounded, as it added 5,200 workers (+144.4 per cent) between November 2024 and November 2025.
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“We’ve seen employment take a hit in industries that had meaningful exposure to the U.S. market,” concluded Calder. “There needs to be a focus on supporting affected industries and workers as businesses try to navigate this transitional period.”
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To learn more, see www.bccpa.ca.
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About CPA British Columbia
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The Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) is the training, governing, and regulatory body for over 40,000 CPA members and 6,000 CPA candidates and students. CPABC carries out its primary mission to protect the public by enforcing the highest professional and ethical standards and contributing to the advancement of public policy.
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