Employment
The number of people employed in the Thompson Okanagan Region increased from 271,200 in May 2020 to 276,100 in May 2021. Simultaneously, the number of people in the labour force decreased from 299,900 in May 2020 to 298,500 in May 2021. Last month, participation rates were 60.7% in B.C. and 64.7% in Canada, while the Thompson Okanagan Region was 59.2%. The unemployment rate in the Thompson Okanagan Region increased decreased to 7.5% in May 2021 from 9.6% in May 2020.
Source: Statistics Canada LFS
Airport Passenger Volumes
Kamloops Airport, along with our partners in the airline, tourism and travel industries, continues to experience the dramatic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although traffic increased marginally from the third quarter, passenger numbers are expected to remain low until such time as government-imposed travel restrictions and advisories for non- essential travel are rescinded. In response to these restrictions and the resulting reduction in customer demand, scheduled services from our airline partners have been significantly impacted.
Source: Kamloops Airport Authority
Real Estate
: The Kamloops And District Real Estate Association (KADREA) reports that a total of 388 residential unit sales were recorded by the Kamloops & District Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in May 2021. This is 189.5 per cent above the numbers that were recorded in May 2020. The average MLS® residential price in Kamloopos was $567,536, up by approx. 15.2 per cent from $492,267 recorded in the same month, last year.
Sources: Kamloops and District Real Estate Association
Housing Sales across the Province April 2021
| Board | Avg. Price ($) | Unit Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Kamloops | 546,106 | 382 |
| Greater Vancouver | 1,211,223 | 5,010 |
| Fraser Valley | 1,042,709 | 2,878 |
| Victoria | 883,139 | 1,056 |
| Chilliwack | 749,158 | 562 |
| Vancouver Island | 668,493 | 1,120 |
| Kootenay | 443,274 | 417 |
| BC Northern | 385,964 | 530 |
| Powell River | 531,664 | 51 |
| South Peace River | 305,961 | 50 |
| Interior | 700,981 | 1,627 |
Housing Construction
There were 46 new housing starts in Kamloops in May 2021, which was down from the 109 starts in May 2020. The 46 housing starts represented $11,703,264 in construction value, compared to $79,333,677 in construction value for the 481 housing starts in May of the previous year.
Source: City of Kamloops
Building Permits
In May 2021, the City of Kamloops issued 77 residential building permits valued at $13,473,925, a decrease over total permits issued in May of the previous year at a value of $21,662,620. A total of 10 commercial building permits were issued in May 2021 with a value of $1,204,000 compared to the 38 permits issued in May 2020 with a value of $1,125,000.
Source: City of Kamloops
Business Licenses
Kamloops issued 84 new business license applications in May 2021 up from the 44 from the previous year.
431
Business Licenses
Issued (YTD)
245
Residential Building Permits
Issued (YTD)
38
Commercial Building Permits
Issued (YTD)
Source: City of Kamloops
