British Columbia Employment Minister Defends Job Growth Amid National Decline

British Columbia Employment Minister Diana Gibson has defended her government's stance on the employment figures released by Statistics Canada. While acknowledging that the national job trend declined in March, she pointed out that B.C. added 5,700 jobs during the same period.

Gibson highlighted that B.C. has seen an increase of 35,400 full-time jobs so far this year, the highest among all provinces. However, she stressed the importance of continuing to support the private sector, which is facing challenges due to the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Gibson also noted that B.C.'s unemployment rate stands at 6.1%, which is lower than the national average of 6.7%. In contrast, neighboring Alberta has experienced a decline in jobs, and its unemployment rate rose from 6.7% to 7.1% in the past month.