Throughout 2023, the unemployment rate in the Kootenays has been increasing. At 5.5 per cent, it has now surpassed the national average of 5.2 per cent and the provincial average of 5.0 per cent.

While the numbers may sound concerning, the Executive Director of Nelson’s Chamber of Commerce Tom Thomson says between four and six per cent is “a healthy number.”

One reason for the recent uptick could be more people entering the workforce, Thomson said, and that some students living away from home have now returned to the Kootenays for the summer and haven’t started working yet.

Thomson joined CJLY to discuss the current labour climate in the Kootenays. Listen to the interview below: