Okanagan Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Kelowna was 9.3% as of September 2026, up 0.3% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 1.1% below the peak from November 2025 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 100 more full-time jobs in September 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a gain of 200 part-time positions, this led to an increase of 300 total jobs in September.
Full-time employment was down 8,400 jobs from the peak in October 2025 but stood 6,200 jobs above the trough in May 2026.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
