AFTER two years of half-baked NDP economic policies, British Columbia has officially given up the mantle of lowest unemployment rate in Canada – a position that was secured by the previous BC Liberal government, say the B.C. Liberals.

“John Horgan and the NDP have tabled multiple budgets now and not one has had a plan for growing the economy,” said Jas Johal, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Jobs, Trade and Technology. “It isn’t a surprise that without a plan to create jobs or opportunity for British Columbia, unemployment is spiking. This is NDP economic policy coming home to roost.”

Today’s job figures from Statistics Canada show unemployment increasing to 5 per cent last month, up from 4.4 per cent in July. That increase puts British Columbia behind Quebec for lowest unemployment rate, with Ontario and Saskatchewan poised to overtake B.C. as well.

“For the third straight month, B.C. has lost jobs with nearly 16,000 new people joining the ranks of British Columbia’s unemployed last month alone,” added Greg Kyllo, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Jobs, Trade and Technology. “John Horgan and the NDP promised to make life more affordable for British Columbians. Instead they introduced 19 new or increased taxes, killed competitiveness, and are now putting tens of thousands of people out of work.”

Amidst a growing affordability crisis, 44 per cent of British Columbians are $200 or less away from insolvency at the end of each month.

“There have been storm clouds on British Columbia’s economic horizon ever since John Horgan tabled his first budget that had no plan to grow the economy,” said Johal. “The NDP has squandered the best provincial economy in the Canada that was built by the BC Liberals. Now hard-working British Columbians are being put out of work or forced to take part-time jobs just to pay the bills. People deserve better.”