More than half of British Columbians — 53 per cent — have expressed unease about their ability to move between jobs and advance professionally, according to the MNP Consumer Debt Index, with shifting trade conditions, tariff pressures, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence all bearing on employment prospects and household income.

Forty-two per cent of respondents harbour concerns that AI, in particular, poses a threat to their jobs or earnings. Roughly a quarter of respondents said tariffs and trade tensions posed a threat to their jobs or financial security.

Nearly half of British Columbians — 48 per cent — report that a job loss would leave their household unable to cover six months of expenses without taking on debt. MNP insolvency trustee Linda Paul noted in a written statement that income disruptions such as reduced hours or a pay change can rapidly narrow what families are able to afford, especially where budgets carry little cushion.

Separately, 37 per cent of residents in the province say they are within $200 of not being able to meet their monthly financial obligations, a figure that has fallen six percentage points from the previous survey. Three in ten respondents expressed doubt about their capacity to weather job loss or fluctuating and seasonal pay without taking on additional debt, a figure that has declined by four per cent.

Across British Columbia, survey responses show roughly half the population — 49 per cent — has pursued some form of supplementary earnings. Selling goods through platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Etsy stands out as the leading approach, drawing on roughly one in five respondents, while a separate 13 per cent have pursued new skills with an eye toward strengthening their employment prospects.

The survey data showed 11 per cent of respondents had turned a hobby, skill, or personal project into a revenue stream, or picked up freelance and contract arrangements, while a further 7 per cent held a second job. Paul noted that shifting work patterns were prompting many British Columbians to explore additional income sources, and that questions about how technologies such as AI might reshape future opportunities were part of that conversation. She added that a distinction exists between earning supplementary income as a means of getting ahead and relying on it simply to stay afloat.

When extra work fails to shrink outstanding balances, the total debt picture may not be sustainable on a person's standard earnings alone.