Vancouver Island Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Nanaimo was 7.7% as of February 2026, up 1.1% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 11.4% below the peak from April 2011 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 2,300 fewer full-time jobs in February 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a gain of 600 part-time positions, this led to a decrease of 1,700 total jobs in February.
Full-time employment was down 9,800 jobs from the peak in March 2024 but stood 700 jobs above the trough in January 2025.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
