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Jobs Plan – praise or pan?
Influence and impact
DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Central Interior Logging Association executive director Mary Anne Arcand (right) presents Mary Kordyban with the Influence and Impact Woman of the Year award at the Women of the North conference and gala in Prince George Tuesday. For more on the event, turn to Page A3. Te re s a M A L L A M/ F re e P re s s
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By Michele Riml April 18 to May 8
The B.C. Jobs Plan can be described neither as a resounding success nor a dismal failure. Brian Yu of Central 1 Credit Union said there are many factors that need to be taken into account when looking critically at the Jobs Plan, though the two primary parties vying for voters in the upcoming election have either described it in glowing terms or as a waste of money. The Jobs Plan was put into action in September of 2011. At the time B.C. placed about sixth in the country when in job growth. In 2012 it was fourth. Right now, Yu said, it’s running about the middle of the pack. “What we’ve seen is very little growth in net jobs for the past year,” Yu said, adding year over year job growth is at .1 per cent. He said if you look at the numbers going back through April there has been very little job growth, and even a downward turn to PAGE A8