Kelowna’s unemployment rate climbs for fifth straight month, worst in Canada

Kelowna’s unemployment rate climbs for fifth straight month, worst in Canada

Published 1:46 pm Friday, August 7, 2026

Despite 75,000 new jobs across Canada in July, Statistics Canada says Kelowna still has the worst unemployment rate in the country.

​Kelowna has held the title for three months straight, spiking at a 9.3 per cent unemployment rate for July, climbing from last month’s rate of 9.2 per cent.

​Kelowna’s unemployment rate has increased for five consecutive months, with a 3 per cent increase from February’s jobless rate of 6.3 per cent.

​Unemployment in Kelowna is higher than in all other cities for unemployment rates by nearly one per cent, with Oshawa (8.4), Abbotsford (8.3) and London (8.2) ranked second, third and fourth on the list.

​This is the highest unemployment rate in Kelowna since November, with the rate hitting 10.4 per cent just seven months ago.

​The numbers in Kelowna are much higher than the provincial and national average, which both sit at 6.5 per cent after falling from 6.7 per cent one month earlier.

While Kelowna’s unemployment rate continues to rise month after month, BC Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, Ravi Kahlon, says nearly 51,000 jobs have been created in B.C. over the last three months.

“Today’s Labour Force Survey underscores the strength and growth of B.C.’s economy, with 17,800 new jobs in July 2026,” stated Kahlon in a written statement.

“As more people found work, B.C.’s unemployment rate fell for the second consecutive month to 6.2%, the fourth-lowest among provinces. At the same time, the province led the country in full-time employment growth, adding 32,500 full-time jobs.”

Other notable unemployment rates around B.C. include Chilliwack (6.9), Kamloops (6.5) and Vancouver (6.3).

According to Statistics Canada, jobs across the country are up by 181,000 since April 2026.