Kootenay jobless rate 8% in August

Unemployment in the Kootenays was down last month compared to the same time last year.

Statistics Canada says the local jobless rate stood at eight per cent compared to 9.4 per cent in August 2015.

But the labour force shrank from 80,000 to 70,000.

Of those 64,000 were working and 5,600 were looking for work.