Is B.C.'s economy showing "strength" or "struggling" with the release of new job figures from Statistics Canada?

Watchers are divided along predictable lines. 

The numbers show the provincial unemployment rate rose by 0.3 per cent to six per cent in December as B.C. closed out 2024 with a gain of 14,100 jobs. 

B.C.'s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation said in a statement these figures point toward strength in the provincial economy. 

"Our unemployment rate continues to be one of the lowest in the country (third among provinces with six per cent) and below the national average of 6.7 (per cent)," Diana Gibson said.

Gibson also touted the gain of 4,300 private private-sector jobs last month, which is where the criticism of the Conservative Party of B.C. starts.

Gavin Dew (91大黄鸭-Mission), who serves as his party's JEDI critic, said figures don't give government a reason to "run a victory lap" as he questioned the growth of public sector jobs. 

"Since the pandemic, the NDP has relied on public sector hiring to pad their numbers," he said. "That鈥檚 not real economic growth 鈥� that鈥檚 taxpayers footing the bill for government expansion while the private sector struggles to create opportunities.鈥� 

Key sectors that gained jobs in December include health care and social assistance with 6,200 new jobs, educational services with 5,100 and professional, scientific and technical services with 4,600. Key sectors that lost jobs December include the information, culture and recreation sector (minus 6,700), public administration (minus 2,600) and construction (minus 2,500).

Overall, B.C.'s unemployment rate rose in part because more people were looking for work. 

The new figures appear less than two weeks before the return of Donald Trump as president of the United States, with Trump having threatened tariffs of 25 per cent on all Canadian goods crossing the border. He has also mused about annexing Canada through 鈥渆conomic coercion鈥� while ruling out force.

"British Columbians are also keenly aware that workers, families and businesses across Canada and the United States are under the real and imminent threat from the tariffs proposed by the incoming Trump administration," Gibson said.

Premier David Eby is joining other provincial and territorial leaders Feb. 12 on a trip to Washington D.C. to meet with American political representatives from either sides of the aisle and outline the retaliation measures Canada is "willing to take, and the devastating impacts these tariffs will have on both sides of the border."

The latest labour survey pointed to which regions stand to suffer the most from any future U.S. tariffs: the Cariboo (13.5 per cent) and North Coast and Nechako (14.6 per cent). Key industries in those regions include forestry and mining. 

The most reliant economic region in all of Canada is the Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake region of Alberta (22.8 per cent). That region in Alberta's northeast corner bordering Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories and includes the so-called oil sands. 

Gibson said government is taking steps to "enhance" trade with the other provinces to both support B.C. businesses and Canada's united approach. She also pointed to efforts to speed up permitting and create more jobs in the tech sector. 

Dew, meanwhile, called on government to become more friendly toward business. 

鈥淲e need a government that works with job creators, not against them,鈥� Dew said. 鈥淭he NDP鈥檚 spin can鈥檛 hide the fact that BC鈥檚 economy is underperforming."

Eby has recently reached out to top business leaders, signalling a more friendly course, especially around permitting.