B.C. recorded its largest monthly drop in jobs since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2026, data shows, as youth unemployment continues to go up in the province.

While the overall unemployment rate didn’t change from the previous month — steady at 6.1 per cent — B.C. wasn’t immune to job losses as the country as a whole lost 84,000 jobs compared to January.

Twenty thousand jobs were lost in B.C. in February, according to Statistics Canada, the highest monthly figure recorded in the province since April 2021.

Jairo Yunus, the director of policy with the Business Council of B.C., said that most of the job losses were full-time jobs in the private sector — which he said reinforces a trend of weak private sector job growth in the province.

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“Much of the job growth we’ve seen since the pandemic … has come from the public sector, rather than businesses expanding and creating new jobs. So, today’s numbers fit that pattern,” he said.

Yunus said that, since 2019, there has been little job growth in sectors that produce, build or export goods — like forestry and agriculture — which he argues is troubling given their importance for trade and the province’s export income.

“When those parts of the economy are looking weak, then that can signal deeper economic softness,” he said.

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Yunus said private-sector firms are cautious about investing and hiring in B.C., with higher borrowing costs and tax increases amid a growing provincial deficit.

“We need to address some of our issues with our fiscal situation, with our tax competitiveness, and ultimately with our policy environment, … to encourage more companies to build, invest and, and hire in B.C.,” he said.

In a statement, Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said that “economic instability caused by U.S. President Donald Trump” is impacting economies around the world, and the job losses across Canada and the U.S. in February were significant.

He said the province was trying to strengthen and diversify economy — touting a bill that aims to break down interprovincial trade barriers, a newly-introduced strategic investment fund and a tax credit for the manufacturing sector.

Kahlon says that B.C. has gained 6,500 private-sector jobs since February 2025, the second-highest growth in Canada.

“We are also seeing job vacancies on the rise, meaning businesses are expanding and feeling confident to hire more people, and we are meeting that need with more support for skills training,” he argued.

Youth unemployment up

Those aged 15 to 24 face a higher unemployment rate compared to other age groups, according to Statistics Canada.

B.C.’s youth unemployment rate hit 14.4 per cent in February, which is close to a recent high of 15.6 per cent in May last year.

When CBC News spoke to young job-seekers at a Richmond, B.C., employment support event on March 4, many of them said described fruitlessly applying for hundreds of openings.

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Janelle Pilgrim was one of those people, saying even her friends with degrees were facing trouble getting a job.

“There was some jobs that I didn’t even get an interview for, or a rejection e-mail,” she said.

“So, I did find the challenges of really even getting a response back was very hard.”

Lonnie Belfer, who helps people find jobs through the company Back In Motion’s Warehouse Abilities program, said the job market for youth was now very different now compared to before the pandemic.

“We see a trend of entry-level jobs being more complex than they ever have been, with people asking for experience, even though it’s supposed to be an entry point,” he said.

He said that, especially for youth that require extra supports, navigating technology can be tricky.

“You can’t knock on doors. You have to go through this massive database of, ‘make sure it’s filled out correctly, make sure you’re using the right buzzwords so you’re picked up by the AI software,'” he said.

“And it’s really challenging for a youth, who doesn’t have any work experience … to get past the AI first step.”