B.C. minister credits Asian jobs strategy for creating full-time work at home

VANCOUVER – B.C. Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training Minister Pat Bell believes the province’s emphasis on building trade links with Asia is producing healthy dividends.

Statistics Canada unemployment figures show B.C.’s unemployment rate edged down slightly in December, as a loss of 3,700 part-time jobs was offset by creation of 4,300 full time positions.

Bell believes the net gain of 600 jobs is almost entirely due to the Asian job strategy.

He also says the switch to full-time positions is one of the first signs that employers are gaining confidence.

B.C.’s December jobless rate was set at 6.5 per cent, down from 6.8 per cent the month earlier.

Statistics Canada says the national rate notched a four year low of 7.1 per cent, due mainly to the creation of 40,000 jobs last month, most of them in Ontario.