Thompson-Okanagan Economic Region
Workforce Insights
February, 2026
Key Insights
Employment
decreased by 5,100 jobs
from the previous month and
increased by 17,400 jobs
compared to the same month last year.
Full-time Employment
decreased by 3,900 jobs
from the previous month and
increased by 8,300 jobs
year-over-year.
Part-time Employment
decreased by 1,200 jobs
from the previous month and
increased by 9,200 jobs
year-over-year.
Unemployment
decreased by 1,300 people
from the previous month and
increased by 4,000 people
compared to the same month last year.
Workforce Composition by Status
In the most recent month,
Full-time Employment
decreased by 3,900 jobs
from last month and
increased by 8,300 jobs
compared to the same month last year.
Part-time Employment
decreased by 1,200 jobs
from last month and
increased by 9,200 jobs
year-over-year.
The number of
Unemployed
individuals
decreased by 1,300 people
from the previous month and
increased by 4,000 people
compared to last year.
Scroll down to explore the data
Employment, Unemployment, and Participation Rate
The
Employment Rate
increased by 3 percentage points
from a year ago.
The
Unemployment Rate
increased by 0.8 percentage points
from a year ago.
The
Participation Rate
increased by 3.8 percentage points
year-over-year.
Jobs Added or Lost by Month
Employment levels
decreased by 5,100 jobs
from the previous month and
increased by 17,400 jobs
compared to the same month last year.
In the most recent month, employment
decreased by 5,100 jobs.
Over the last year, the labor market has
increased by 17,400 jobs.
Top 3 Industries in Goods Sector
Construction:
35,000
workers.
Manufacturing:
16,700
workers.
Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas:
10,200
workers.
The Goods sector is mainly driven by industries such as Construction, Manufacturing, Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas, which together account for 88.8% of the sector's workforce.
Top 3 Industries in Services Sector
Health care and social assistance:
53,000
workers.
Wholesale and retail trade:
47,700
workers.
Professional, scientific and technical services:
26,200
workers.
In the Services sector, Health care and social assistance, Wholesale and retail trade, Professional, scientific and technical services lead employment, representing 52.4% of the sector's workforce.
Top 5 Industries by Change from Previous Month
Wholesale and retail trade:
Change of
3,200
workers
(decreased by 6.29%).
Manufacturing:
Change of
2,300
workers
(decreased by 12.11%).
Health care and social assistance:
Change of
1,700
workers
(increased by 3.31%).
Other services (except public administration):
Change of
1,400
workers
(increased by 11.29%).
Public administration:
Change of
1,300
workers
(decreased by 9.15%).
These industries saw the largest month-over-month changes, indicating short-term trends.
Top 5 Industries by Change from Same Month Last Year
Wholesale and retail trade:
Change of
12,700
workers
(increased by 36.29%).
Manufacturing:
Change of
8,500
workers
(decreased by 33.73%).
Agriculture:
Change of
4,000
workers
(increased by Inf%).
Accommodation and food services:
Change of
3,800
workers
(increased by 20.21%).
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing:
Change of
3,700
workers
(increased by 25.52%).
The year-over-year changes provide insights into longer-term shifts, highlighting industries that have grown or declined significantly.
Conclusion
The overall employment trend is positive, with strong growth in the past year.
Key industries driving the trend are: Construction, Wholesale and retail trade, Professional, scientific and technical services, Health care and social assistance, Accommodation and food services.
Local Workforce Insights
December, 2025
Updated monthly, local monthly workforce trends focus on total employment,
and employment and unemployment rates estimates at SLA level
Formed by one or more Census Subdivisions (CSDs), an SLA can be described as a territorial unit where most of the residents with jobs are working in the area and most of the jobs in the area are filled by workers residing in the area.
Penticton
SLA consists of the following communities:
Penticton, Okanagan-Similkameen D, Okanagan-Similkameen I, Okanagan-Similkameen F, Penticton 1.
Key Local Labour Market Insights
Total local employment registered 23,170 in December 2025, it increased by 200 jobs from November and gained 990 jobs year-over-year.
The local employment rate stands at 53.1%. It grew by 0.5 percentage points
from November and rose by 2.3 percentage points from same month last year.
Local unemployment rate registered 7.1%. It rose by 0.3 percentage points month-over-month, and declined by 1.0 percentage points year-over-year.
Employment Trends
Total employment in December 2025 was 23,170, showing a modest increase of 200 from the previous month. From December last year, employment levels grew by 990, demonstrating resilience.
Scroll down to explore more data
Employment Rate Dynamics
The employment rate reached 53.1% in December 2025. This represents a rise of 0.5 percentage points from November (52.6%). Year-over-year, the rate improved by 2.3 percentage points from 50.8%.
Unemployment Rate Trends
The unemployment rate was 7.1% in December 2025, up 0.3 percentage points from November. Compared to December last year (8.1%), the rate has decreased by 1.0 percentage points.
Employment: Regional vs Local Patterns
The strong correlation (0.88) between regional and local employment levels indicates very similar employment patterns at both geographic levels. This suggests that local employment closely follows regional trends.
Employment Rate: Regional vs Local Patterns
Employment rates show a strong correlation (0.89) between regional and local levels. This indicates strong alignment in workforce participation, suggesting that labor market conditions affect both areas similarly.
Unemployment Rate: Regional vs Local Patterns
The unemployment rate correlation of 0.16 shows a weak relationship. This points to distinct local unemployment dynamics, indicating that local unemployment follows its own distinct pattern.
Penticton
SLA consists of the following communities:
Penticton, Okanagan-Similkameen D, Okanagan-Similkameen I, Okanagan-Similkameen F, Penticton 1.
Monthly Local Workforce Trends
December, 2025
Updated monthly, local monthly workforce trends focus on total employment,
and employment and unemployment rates estimates at SLA level
Formed by one or more Census Subdivisions (CSDs), an SLA can be described as a territorial unit where most of the residents with jobs are working in the area and most of the jobs in the area are filled by workers residing in the area.
Penticton
SLA consists of the following communities:
Penticton, Okanagan-Similkameen D, Okanagan-Similkameen I, Okanagan-Similkameen F, Penticton 1.
Scroll down to explore the data
Local area
Employment Trends
Total employment in December 2025 was 23,170, showing a modest increase of 200 from the previous month. From December last year, employment levels grew by 990, demonstrating resilience.
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Local area
Employment Rate Dynamics
The employment rate reached 53.1% in December 2025. This represents a rise of 0.5 percentage points from November (52.6%). Year-over-year, the rate improved by 2.3 percentage points from 50.8%.
Unemployment Rate Trends
The unemployment rate was 7.1% in December 2025, up 0.3 percentage points from November. Compared to December last year (8.1%), the rate has decreased by 1.0 percentage points.
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Local area
Employment Rate: Regional vs Local Patterns
Employment rates show a strong correlation (0.89) between regional and local levels. This indicates strong alignment in workforce participation, suggesting that labor market conditions affect both areas similarly.
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Local area
Unemployment Rate: Regional vs Local Patterns
The unemployment rate correlation of 0.16 shows a weak relationship. This points to distinct local unemployment dynamics, indicating that local unemployment follows its own distinct pattern.
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Economic region
Workforce Composition by Status
In the most recent month,
Full-time Employment
decreased by 3,900 jobs
from last month and
increased by 8,300 jobs
compared to the same month last year.
Part-time Employment
decreased by 1,200 jobs
from last month and
increased by 9,200 jobs
year-over-year.
The number of
Unemployed
individuals
decreased by 1,300 people
from the previous month and
increased by 4,000 people
compared to last year.
Loading...
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Economic region
Employment, Unemployment, and Participation Rate
The
Employment Rate
increased by 3 percentage points
from a year ago.
The
Unemployment Rate
increased by 0.8 percentage points
from a year ago.
The
Participation Rate
increased by 3.8 percentage points
year-over-year.
Loading...
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Economic region
Jobs Added or Lost by Month
Employment levels
decreased by 5,100 jobs
from the previous month and
increased by 17,400 jobs
compared to the same month last year.
In the most recent month, employment
decreased by 5,100 jobs.
Over the last year, the labor market has
increased by 17,400 jobs.
Loading...
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Economic region
Top 3 Industries in Goods Sector
Construction:
35,000
workers.
Manufacturing:
16,700
workers.
Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas:
10,200
workers.
The Goods sector is mainly driven by industries such as Construction, Manufacturing, Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas, which together account for 88.8% of the sector's workforce.
Top 3 Industries in Services Sector
Health care and social assistance:
53,000
workers.
Wholesale and retail trade:
47,700
workers.
Professional, scientific and technical services:
26,200
workers.
In the Services sector, Health care and social assistance, Wholesale and retail trade, Professional, scientific and technical services lead employment, representing 52.4% of the sector's workforce.
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Economic region
Top 5 Industries by Change from Previous Month
Wholesale and retail trade:
Change of
3,200
workers
(decreased by 6.29%).
Manufacturing:
Change of
2,300
workers
(decreased by 12.11%).
Health care and social assistance:
Change of
1,700
workers
(increased by 3.31%).
Other services (except public administration):
Change of
1,400
workers
(increased by 11.29%).
Public administration:
Change of
1,300
workers
(decreased by 9.15%).
These industries saw the largest month-over-month changes, indicating short-term trends.
Loading...
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Economic region
Top 5 Industries by Change from Same Month Last Year
Wholesale and retail trade:
Change of
12,700
workers
(increased by 36.29%).
Manufacturing:
Change of
8,500
workers
(decreased by 33.73%).
Agriculture:
Change of
4,000
workers
(increased by Inf%).
Accommodation and food services:
Change of
3,800
workers
(increased by 20.21%).
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing:
Change of
3,700
workers
(increased by 25.52%).
The year-over-year changes provide insights into longer-term shifts, highlighting industries that have grown or declined significantly.
Loading...
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Economic region
Conclusion
The overall employment trend is positive, with strong growth in the past year.
Key industries driving the trend are: Construction, Wholesale and retail trade, Professional, scientific and technical services, Health care and social assistance, Accommodation and food services.
Loading...
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Employment rate Provincial Comparison
Among 84 small areas in British Columbia, Penticton ranks 54th with an employment rate of 53.1%. The provincial range is 44.9% to 67.7%, with half of areas between 51.5% and 58.8% (median: 55.4%).
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Unemployment rate Provincial Comparison
Among 84 small areas in British Columbia, Penticton ranks 39th with an unemployment rate of 7.1%. The provincial range is 3.7% to 13.2%, with half of areas between 6.2% and 8.8% (median: 7.2%).
Data source: Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey February, 2026
Thompson-Okanagan Economic region — Labour Market Outlook
Total Job Openings
Most Job Openings
Job openings and employment by occupation and industry for the period 2025-2035
Forecasted number of new job openings in the period 2025-2035
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Data source: Labour Market Analytics, Forecasting & Information
Forecasted employment in the period 2025-2035
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Data source: Labour Market Analytics, Forecasting & Information
High-opportunity occupations
High opportunity occupations by NOC based on forecasted number of job openings in the period 2025-2035
Data source: Labour Market Analytics, Forecasting & Information
BC workforce supply composition for the period 2025-2035
Forecasted number of new job market entrants in the period 2025-2035
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Data source: Labour Market Analytics, Forecasting & Information
These job openings provide a forecast for the demand for labour
with the associated education background. This is a demand projection only
and is not a measure of how many graduates the B.C. education system needs to produce.
These job openings are projected to be supplied through a mix of young
B.C. residents starting work after being educated either in B.C. or
other jurisdictions, immigrants, migrants from other provinces,
or existing residents pursuing additional education.
Planners should take these other possible sources of supply into account
when using these projections for post-secondary program planning purposes.
Recruitment and Retention
Remote Work as Incentive
Anticipated to work remotely
Recruitment, Retention and Training Plans
Recruitment, Retention and Training Plans
Current or planned tasks regarding recruitment, retention and training over the next 12 months
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Percentage of organizations planning to offer remote work (geography)
Percentage of organizations planning to offer remote work as
for recruitment, retention and training over the next 12 months
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Percentage of organizations planning to offer remote work (organization size)
Percentage of organizations planning to offer remote work as
for recruitment, retention and training over the next 12 months
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Percentage of organizations planning to offer remote work (organization type)
Percentage of organizations planning to offer remote work as
for recruitment, retention and training over the next 12 months
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Current or planned tasks regarding recruitment, retention and training - by business size
Organization's current or planned tasks regarding recruitment, retention and training in the next 12 months (Q1 2023)
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Current or planned tasks regarding recruitment, retention and training - by organization type
Organization's current or planned tasks regarding recruitment, retention and training in the next 12 months (Q1 2023)
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Current or planned tasks regarding recruitment, retention and training - by geography
Organization's current or planned tasks regarding recruitment, retention and training in the next 12 months (Q1 2023)
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Anticipated Work Arrangement in the Next Three Months
Anticipated Work Arrangement in the Next Three Months
Percentage of workforce anticipated to work on-site or remotely over the next three months, Q1 2023
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Percentage of workers anticipated to only work remotely (geography)
Percentage of workers anticipated to only work remotely over the next three months
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Percentage of workers anticipated to only work remotely (organization size)
Percentage of workers anticipated to only work remotely over the next three months
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Percentage of workers anticipated to only work remotely (organization type)
Percentage of workers anticipated to only work remotely over the next three months
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Data source: Statistics Canada - Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Anticipated work arrangement - by business size
Percentage of workforce anticipated to work on-site or remotely over the next three months, Q1 2023
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Anticipated work arrangement - by organization type
Percentage of workforce anticipated to work on-site or remotely over the next three months, Q1 2023
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
Anticipated work arrangement - by geography
Percentage of workforce anticipated to work on-site or remotely over the next three months, Q1 2023
Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions