Okanagan Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Kelowna was 9% as of August 2026, down 0.3% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 1.4% below the peak from November 2025 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 1,400 more full-time jobs in August 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a loss of 300 part-time positions, this led to an increase of 1,100 total jobs in August.
Full-time employment was down 9,100 jobs from the peak in October 2025 but stood 5,800 jobs above the trough in May 2026.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
