National

B.C.'s youth unemployment rate second-highest in Canada with 16.6 per cent in May

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Jun, 2025 11:42 AM

High school students walking across graduation stages this month will step into an uncertain job market as B.C. has the second-highest youth unemployment rate in Canada.

Figures released by Statistics Canada this month show the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among people ages 15 to 24 was 16.6 per cent in May, up from 13.4 in April 2025 and up from 10.5 per cent in May 2024.

Only Alberta has recorded a higher unemployment rate in that age category with 17.2 per cent, while the national youth unemployment rate is at 14.2 per cent.

B.C.'s youth unemployment rate for May 2025 is below the rate of June 2020, when the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among youth hit 28.6 per cent based on figures from Statistics Canada because of COVID-19.

But the current unemployment rate among youth exceeds youth unemployment 15 years ago when it hit annual peak of 15.6 per cent in June 2010 in the midst of the so-called Great Recession caused by the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

B.C.'s overall employment rate for May 2025 was 6.4 per cent, up from 6.2 per cent in April 2025 and 5.6 per cent in May 2024.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Matt Rourke

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Explainer: What's a recession and why is rising anxiety about it roiling markets?

Stock markets are plunging, consumers and businesses have started to sour on the economy, and economists are marking down their estimates for growth this year, with some even seeing rising odds of a recession. The tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index slipped into a correction last week, defined as a 10% drop from its most recent peak. The broader S&P 500 neared that level Tuesday.

Explainer: What's a recession and why is rising anxiety about it roiling markets?

Poilievre wants to impose 50 per cent metal tariffs on U.S. after latest Trump threat

Trump says he will double the steel and aluminum tariffs he promised to deploy on Canadian products tomorrow — to 50 per cent — in response to Ontario's 25 per cent surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S. Trump originally vowed to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports.

Poilievre wants to impose 50 per cent metal tariffs on U.S. after latest Trump threat

Confused about tariff deadlines? Here's what we know right now

The trade war between the U.S. and Canada took another turn Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to double the tariff on steel and aluminum imports coming from Canada in response to Ontario's surcharge on electricity exports. Trump said 50 per cent tariffs will be placed on Canadian steel and aluminum starting Wednesday, up from the 25 per cent tariffs that had been expected to apply to those materials.

Confused about tariff deadlines? Here's what we know right now

PM-designate Carney demands respect from U.S. as Trump doubles tariffs

Prime minister-designate Mark Carney says he will keep Canadian retaliatory tariffs in place until "Americans show us respect" and commit to free trade again. Carney is reacting after U.S. President Donald Trump moved today to double incoming tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, which Carney calls an attack on Canadian workers and businesses.

PM-designate Carney demands respect from U.S. as Trump doubles tariffs

Doctors thrust into COVID-19 celebrity reflect on backlash, threats and Thank You letters

Doctors who were thrust into national fame when COVID-19 hit five years ago say they try to focus on positive feedback from the public rather than the angry backlash and threats of violence they faced. British Columbia public health chief Dr. Bonnie Henry still has a security detail to this day because of threats against her and her family from people angry about lockdowns or opposed to COVID vaccination.

Doctors thrust into COVID-19 celebrity reflect on backlash, threats and Thank You letters

Carney's win kills Liberals' much-delayed plan to change capital gains tax

Mark Carney's victory in the Liberal leadership race puts the final nail in the coffin of Ottawa's controversial plan to hike the inclusion rate on capital gains. When they tabled their budget last spring, the federal Liberals presented the plan to change capital gains as a way to get wealthy Canadians and corporations to pay more — but the plan has faced a series of delays ever since.