BC Gov News
Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for October 2025:
“B.C. and Canada are facing unprecedented threats: U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s erratic tariff threats target our jobs and economy. The unfair, unjustified tariffs and economic uncertainty are threatening people’s jobs and businesses throughout the province. We cannot control what the U.S. president does, but we can defend B.C. workers and build a stronger, more independent economy.
“Today’s Labour Force Survey numbers for October show a slight decrease of 2,900 jobs, which includes decreases in construction and forestry – direct results of unjustified tariffs from the U.S.
“October’s job increases were seen in transportation and warehousing, which is encouraging news after two months of losses in the sector.
“Despite continued global economic uncertainty, longer-term trends demonstrate B.C.’s resilience, with a year-over-year increase of 36,100 jobs, including 27,400 more in the private sector.
“Over the past year, B.C. has gained 17,900 construction jobs and 13,500 manufacturing jobs.
“Our unemployment rate in October was 6.6%, remaining the fourth-lowest in Canada and below the national average of 6.9%.
“Our government is leading the work for a more resilient Canada. Together, people in British Columbia are lighting the path forward by building new economic capacity, diversifying our trade relationships, and defending our workers, our economy and our communities from harm.
“This week, we agreed on a joint task force with the federal government to support the forestry sector and announced the opening of forestry trade offices in the United Kingdom, helping diversify and reduce reliance on the United States.
“We will build on B.C.’s strengths as the economic engine of Canada, pushing ahead with major projects, creating good-paying jobs that support families and growing a strong, resilient economy for everyone.”
Learn More:
To learn more about B.C.’s response to tariffs, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/tariffs