THE BC NDP announced on Friday that British Columbia gained 54,800 jobs in September, more than 70% of them full-time, as the province outpaced the national average.

BC has recovered 301,700 jobs since the pandemic struck, returning to 96.3% of pre-pandemic employment levels.

The unemployment rate dropped 2.3 points to 8.4%, significantly below the national average of 9%.

BC’s strong public health response to COVID-19 and safe restart plan has helped businesses to reopen and contributed to faster job growth than most provinces in Canada.

The BC NDP government introduced new supports to drive economic recovery including a hiring credit worth 15% of any increase to payroll this quarter, $300 million in grants for small and medium sized businesses, and a 100% PST rebate on business investments on machinery and equipment.

“This is good news for British Columbians and encouraging signs of a strong economic recovery as we move through this pandemic together,” said BC NDP Premier John Horgan. “Our strategic investments in people and businesses will continue to create jobs as we build a recovery that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.”