Greater Victoria's unemployment rate inched down to 5.4 per cent in November as the number of people working climbed by 700 from the previous month.
Statistics Canada said year-to-date the total number of people working has increased by 7,000 compared with November 2011, when the region's unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent. Jobs growth is split between full-and part-time work.
Last month, the number of people working in Greater Victoria was at 185,200, up from 184,500 the previous month, Statistics Canada said. The total size of the labour force (those working and looking for work) rose slightly to 195,800 in November, from 195,400 in October.
Victoria has the sixth lowest employment rate among the 33 major communities surveyed monthly by the federal agency. Regina has the lowest rate at four per cent.
In the past year, employment has grown in educational services, health care, and information, culture and recreation, Statistics Canada said. Declines were seen in accommodation and food services and in construction.
Unemployment in B.C. inched up a tenth of a point to 6.8 per cent in November compared to October.
Jobs Minister Pat Bell said the province lost about 4,700 jobs, all of them in the part time sector, while the number of full-time jobs remained stable. He said there were also gains in other areas including scientific and technical services, forestry, fishing, mining, information and recreation.
Vancouver's jobless rate remained steady at 7.2 per cent in November and Kelowna's jumped to 7.8 per cent from six per cent.
Nationally, the country's economy showed surprising bounce last month when 59,300 jobs were added, dropping the unemployment rate two-tenths of a point to 7.2 per cent.
The report was among the strongest of the year, not only in terms of job creation, but also in the type of jobs - almost all the gains were in full-time employment and in the private sector.