Okanagan Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Kelowna was 9.6% as of October 2026, up 0.3% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 0.8% below the peak from November 2025 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 200 more full-time jobs in October 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a gain of 100 part-time positions, this led to an increase of 300 total jobs in October.
Full-time employment was down 7,600 jobs from the peak in October 2025 but stood 7,000 jobs above the trough in May 2026.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, three-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
