The Kamloops unemployment rate has hit its highest point of the year, as the local economy shed a few hundred jobs in June according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
The June Labour Force Survey shows the jobless rate in the Kamloops Census Metropolitan Area jumped to 6.5% last month, a noticeable increase from 5.9% in May.
The Kamloops CMA covers Kamloops, Tk’emlups and areas directly around the City-proper and also includes Sun Peaks, Logan Lake, Chase and portions of the TNRD which surround Kamloops.
Map showing the Kamloops Census Metropolitan Area/via Statistics Canada [click image to expand]
The June data marks the fourth consecutive month the jobless rate has climbed.
February saw Kamloops boast a 3.8% unemployment rate — the third lowest in the entire country — thanks in large part to a new hiring blitz by Teck for the Highland Valley Mine Life Extension program.
Despite the increase in joblessness from that point, Kamloops is still faring better than several other major BC cities, though trending in an opposite direction.
Nanaimo — which has a similar population and labour force size and make-up to Kamloops — saw its jobless rate drop from 8.5 percent down to 7.4 percent in June.
Down Highway 97 in Kelowna, the unemployment rate there did climb, with that city struggling with a persistent and growing level of unemployment to start out 2026, with its jobless rate going from 9.0% in May to 9.2% last month.
With the June increase, the Kamloops unemployment rate of 6.5 percent is now sitting exactly on the provincial and national averages, as both the BC and Canadian rates dropped down last month.
BC government eyes recent Ottawa accord as bastion for job growth
BC Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon announcing as much as 88 billion dollars worth of investments for BC through government’s “Look West” strategy/via Government of BC
While local numbers have softened, the provincial government is pointing to a massive new influx of federal infrastructure funding as a catalyst for future job growth.
Speaking with Radio NL on Friday, BC’s Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, Ravi Kahlon, highlighted the newly signed Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement, the multi-billion-dollar deal aimed at accelerating major energy and trade corridors throughout the province.
“This landmark agreement is going to be an absolute game-changer for workers across British Columbia,” Kahlon told Radio NL. “We are talking about billions in federal assistance that will directly support our ‘Look West’ economic plan, unlocking more than $88 billion in proposed major projects over the next three years.”
The agreement includes up to $3 billion toward the Fraser River Tunnel Project, as well as major commitments to the Red Chris mine expansion and the North Coast Transmission Line.
“When we secure funding for critical infrastructure like the North Coast Transmission Line, we aren’t just building power grids; we are creating thousands of good-paying, long-term jobs for British Columbians,” Kahlon said. “These are jobs people can build a life on.”
“Whether it is through critical mineral development, clean energy, or expanded trade infrastructure, the ripple effects of this multi-billion-dollar agreement will be felt in communities like Kamloops,” Kahlon concluded.
