In 30 seconds
- Kelowna's unemployment rate was 9.6% in October, up from 9.3% in September and the highest of Canada's major metropolitan areas.
- The national rate was 6.7%. Kamloops, an hour away, held at 4.4%.
- Kelowna's building permits carried $19.3 million of declared work in September, the lowest month since January.
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Kelowna unemployment rate, October 2026 | 9.6% |
| in September | 9.3% |
| Canada, October | 6.7% |
| Kamloops, October | 4.4% |
The number
Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for October, released November 6, put the Kelowna metropolitan area's unemployment rate at 9.6 per cent. That is up from 9.3 per cent in September and the highest of the major cities it reports. Oshawa was next at 8.9 per cent.
City rates are three month averages from a smaller sample than the national survey, so they move around. Statistics Canada says so itself. Even so, Kelowna has led the country for several months in a row.
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Kelowna | 9.6% |
| Oshawa | 8.9% |
| London | 8.1% |
| Hamilton | 7.6% |
| Kamloops | 4.4% |
Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, October 2026 (three month moving averages for metropolitan areas), as reported by Castanet and Black Press on November 6, 2026.
What it means for the trades
Construction work in Kelowna moves with home building. When new projects slow, the first to feel it are crews who go from site to site: framing, drywall, finishing, and the subtrades who follow them.
The permit record shows the shape of the year. Declared construction value peaked in March at $93 million, when large multifamily permits were issued, then settled between $15 million and $69 million a month. September came in at $19.3 million.
| Declared value | Permits | |
|---|---|---|
| November 2025 | $34,561,293 | 71 |
| December 2025 | $7,179,210 | 26 |
| January 2026 | $19,648,834 | 46 |
| February 2026 | $46,929,972 | 37 |
| March 2026 | $92,979,630 | 48 |
| April 2026 | $15,009,973 | 55 |
| May 2026 | $50,752,528 | 68 |
| June 2026 | $69,356,500 | 63 |
| July 2026 | $42,874,216 | 56 |
| August 2026 | $52,823,215 | 63 |
| September 2026 | $19,338,997 | 50 |
City of Kelowna building and occupancy permit open data, November 2025 to September 23, 2026 (the latest record published). Analysis: Okanagan Trade Directory.
Where the work is
Renovations and repairs did not stop. Permits held between 50 and 63 a month from June to September even as new homes dropped. For a trade business, that is where steady work sits this winter: renovations, repairs, service calls and commercial fit outs.
If you are looking for work, every public permit in the valley is free to search on our permits page, with the address, the type of work and the date.
Trades in Kelowna
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- Construction Pulse: Kelowna
How we did this
Unemployment rates are from Statistics Canada's October 2026 Labour Force Survey as reported by Castanet and Kelowna Capital News. City rates are three month moving averages; the national rate is seasonally adjusted for the month.
Permit figures are from the City of Kelowna's published building and occupancy permit data, read November 14, 2026. The newest permit in it was issued September 23, 2026. Declared value is what the applicant wrote on the permit, not what the work cost.