October 2009 Report. These monthly reports provide summaries of business and employment statistics that every working person in BC should care about.

We all know that in these times no job is truly safe. We must expect the unexpected and we should all be conscious to the global economic big picture. Everyone should have a
'plan B' up their sleeve, even if you think your job is secure. As the employees at West Fraser's Eurocan paper mill now know, anything is possible in this recession.

This week Eurocan workers were told the 40 year-old mill will be shutting down permanently on January 31st. The mill in Kitimat, BC employs 535 people and an estimated 3000 jobs will be affected. For a town with around 9000 people that news is devastating for virtually every industry including the service sector.

Our economy relies heavily on our resources: forestry, mining, fishing etc., all of which are struggling. We rely heavily on our exports, especially to the United States. Since Canada exports around 80% of everything we make to the U.S. we need their economy to prosper. We need them building and buying homes which they simply aren't doing right now.

When you look at the statistics from October's report there are many figures that are disconcerting. The unemployment rate, reduced total exports, and decreases in most areas of manufacturing production and shipments are all down.

While the unemployment rate has gone down slightly in the last couple months most those gains were in the health and social assistance and the public administration sectors -taxpayer funded jobs likely the result of stimulus money.

I hope our leaders in the provincial legislature have planned ahead. I hope they don't assume the recession is behind us and that we can go back to business as usual -we are far from that. I hope our government is being as smart with the money we give them as B.C. families are being with their own money.

False hope you think? I don't blame you.">                              

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