The jobless rate in the Kootenays stood at 5.3 per cent in September, which was up compared to the previous month and the same time last year, but still lower than the provincial and national averages.
Statistics Canada says 82,700 people were working and 4,400 were looking for work last month out of a population of 142,900.
The previous month there were 83,500 working and 4,200 job hunting out of a population of 142,700, for a rate of five per cent. In September 2022, there were 79,600 people with jobs and 4,300 trying to find work among a population of 141,000, a rate of 5.1 per cent.
The provincial rate was 5.8 per cent while the national rate held steady at 5.5 per cent for the third month in a row.
StatsCan says across the country, employment among men and women ages 25 to 54 increased, while it stayed about the same for youth ages 15 to 24 and people over 55.
More people were working in educational services, transportation, and warehousing, and fewer were employed in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing, construction, and information, culture and recreation.
Compared to September 2022, hourly wages were up an average of five per cent to $34.01, following increases of 4.9 per cent in August and five per cent in July.