Throughout the province, British Columbians work hard to provide for themselves and their loved ones. Family economies rely on well-paying, secure jobs, just as our provincial economy does.
Our government is dedicated to ensuring hardworking British Columbians are able to support themselves and their families through employment. In 2011, we launched the BC Jobs Plan to support this outcome. As the Parliamentary Secretary for the BC Jobs Plan, I am proud to be involved in this meaningful work.
Five years out from the creation of the Jobs Plan, we are seeing extraordinary results.
Under the Jobs Plan, B.C. has created more jobs than any other province in Canada, moving from ninth in the country for job creation to first in the past five years. We now lead the country in economic growth – up from third place – and have moved from fourth-lowest unemployment to enjoying the lowest unemployment rate in Canada.
Of course, job creation and job stability depend on the success of our economy, and the various sectors within it. In times of economic uncertainty, we see job creation stagnate; in times of economic growth, we see jobs created.
This past year has been a time of remarkable growth for many sectors in B.C., which has led to more jobs and opportunities for British Columbians.
Our province’s agrifood and seafood sector – an important economic driver here in the Shuswap – grew by 6,100 employees in 2016, according to Statistics Canada. With this growth, the agrifood and seafood sector now employs 62,900 people province-wide – up from an average of 56,000 jobs over the past three years.
Tourism – which understandably forms another key economic segment for our beautiful region – also had an exceptional year. International tourism numbers for the first 11 months of the year show a 12.2 per cent increase over the same period in 2015, with more than 5.1 million international visitors choosing to travel and stay in our province.
Despite exciting growth in sectors like these, there’s definitely still room for improvement. Some areas of the province have been disproportionately impacted by the global commodity downturn, which means they aren’t experiencing the same growth as less-impacted areas. To address this disparity, our government has developed a Rural Economic Strategy. This plan will help ensure communities throughout the province are able to benefit from and enjoy an economy that is diverse, strong and growing.
With the success of the BC Jobs Plan, it’s important to keep focused on the road ahead. In a time of external economic uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to stick to our plan – to remain focused on controlling spending, creating jobs and continuing to diversify our economy.
