The Regional Labour Market Statistics map lets you view labour market information for British Columbia and its regions. The statistics displayed on the maps are updated monthly.
Click a region for an instant read-out of the region’s population, its major industries, the number of persons with jobs and the number unemployed, and more. For a city's unemployment rate, click its location dot. For a range of information at the provincial level, go to the monthly Labour Market Snapshots on the Labour Market page.
The British Columbia development regions are:
- Vancouver Island/Coast
- Mainland/Southwest
- Thompson-Okanagan
- Kootenay
- Cariboo
- North Coast & Nechako
- Northeast
Each development region is made up of a number of regional districts. There are 29 regional districts in the province.
Population distribution Back to top
Most of B.C.’s population is located in the southwestern corner of the province. In 2008, the proportion of the population, by region, was:
- Mainland/Southwest – 60%
- Vancouver Island/Coast – 17%
- Thompson-Okanagan – 12%
- Cariboo – 4%
- Kootenay – 3%
- North Coast & Nechako – 2%
- Northeast – 2%
About 88% of British Columbians live in urban areas – cities, towns, villages and other incorporated districts. The remaining 12% live in rural (unincorporated) areas, some close to urban centres and some in more remote areas.
Mainland/Southwest is the most highly urbanized region: only 2% of its residents live in rural areas. By contrast, about 43% of residents in North Coast & Nechako live in rural areas, as do 36% in both Northeast and Cariboo, and 20% in both Thompson-Okanagan and Vancouver Island/Coast.
Population age distribution
The population is aging Back to top
B.C.’s population is aging. In 2006, for the first time since census-taking started in the province, the median age in B.C. was just over 40 years.
Between 1995 (the first year for which regional workforce data is available) and 2008, the number of seniors – people aged 65 and older – grew by 34%. That was more than double the increase in B.C.’s total population during the same period (16%).
In 2008, 15% of the population of the province was aged 65 and older. By comparison, 19% of the Thompson-Okanagan population was in this age category. Seniors accounted for the smallest percentage of the total population in Northeast (8%) and North Coast & Nechako (11%).
Changes in the size and age structure of the population are linked to changes in employment over time. For example, because many people 65 years or older are retired, a large senior population in a region will mean that a smaller share of its residents is likely to be available for work.
Northern regions of the province have a more youthful population than other regions Back to top
Between 1995 and 2008, the number of children (under 15 years) living in B.C. decreased by 8% while the province’s total population grew by 16%.
Mainland/Southwest, where the population grew by 23%, is the only region that saw an increase in children (3%) from 1995 to 2008.
Overall, the northern regions have a youthful population compared with other regions of the province, but even in the north the number of children is declining. In North Coast & Nechako, for example, children made up 20% of the population in 2008. Yet, between 1995 and 2008, the number of young people there declined by a greater proportion than in any other region (34%). North Coast & Nechako’s total population shrank by 14% in the same period.
In 2008, Cariboo also had a relatively large number of children (18%), as did Mainland/Southwest (16%). Thompson-Okanagan (15%) and Vancouver Island/Coast (14%) had proportionally fewer children.
In every region, at least two-thirds of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age Back to top
The largest share of the population in every region is of working age – that is, between 15 and 64 years. In 2008, the largest percentages of working-aged residents were in Mainland/Southwest (71%) and Cariboo (70%). Proportionally smaller working-aged populations were in Thompson-Okanagan (66%) and Kootenay (67%), both having large senior populations.
In 2008, the number of working-aged women (1,530,600) in B.C. was slightly higher than the number of working-aged men (1,528,500). However, women made up slightly less of the workforce (47%) than men did.
Among regions, women made up the largest share of the total workforce in Vancouver Island/Coast (49%) and North Coast & Nechako (48%). In Northeast, where men outnumbered women, the percentage of the workforce that is female was lower (43%).
In 2008, 80% of people working in B.C. had full-time jobs (meaning they usually spent at least 30 hours a week on the job). Full-time work was most common in Northeast (83%) and Mainland/Southwest (81%), and least common in Kootenay (77%).
Although Kootenay had fewer full-time workers than any other region in 2008, it had proportionally more self-employed workers (23%) – well above the average for B.C. as a whole (18%). Self-employment is much less common in North Coast & Nechako, where 13% of workers are self-employed.
Over the past two decades, unemployment rates have generally been lowest in Northeast and Mainland/Southwest and highest in Cariboo and North Coast & Nechako. While B.C.’s unemployment rate averaged 7.2% between 1995 and 2008, the rate in these regions averaged:
- Northeast – 5.7%
- Mainland/Southwest – 6.6%
- Cariboo – 9.4%
- North Coast & Nechako – 9.3%
The regions’ economies are as varied as their geographies and populations. In more rural areas, goods-producing industries play a larger role than they do in more urban areas.
The goods sector employs the largest share of the workforce in Northeast (39%), Kootenay (31%) and North Coast & Nechako (31%) – all regions with a relatively large rural population.
The most highly urban regions are the least dependent on goods production as a source of employment. These are Vancouver Island/Coast (18% share of the workforce) and Mainland/Southwest (20%).
The Northeast development region shares a border with Alberta and Yukon, and is part of the Peace River Basin.
Northeast is made up of two regional districts:
- Northern Rockies
- Peace River
Population highlights
In 2011, Northeast had a population (15 years and older) of 67,100.
According to statistics from 2008, the population, by regional district, was:
- Peace River (which includes Fort St. John and Dawson Creek) – 61,100 (91% of Northeast’s residents)
- Northern Rockies (which includes Fort Nelson) – 6,300 people (4,700 of whom lived in Fort Nelson)
- all of the other towns in Northeast had a population of less than 3,000
Population distribution Back to top
In 2008, 36% of Northeast’s residents lived in rural (unincorporated) areas:
- In Peace River, 37% of the population lived in rural areas.
- In Northern Rockies, by comparison, most of the small population lived in Fort Nelson. For this reason, the regional district had a proportionally larger urban population (74%).
Ninety-one percent of Northeast’s workforce was employed in Peace River in 2008.
Population age distribution Back to top
Like other northern regions of British Columbia, Northeast has a comparatively young population.
In 2008, the age distribution of the Northeast population was:
- working-aged residents (between 15 and 64 years) – 70% (the same as the B.C. average for this age group)
- children (under 15 years) – 22%
- seniors (65 years and over) – 8%
Northeast was home to fewer seniors and more children, relative to its population, than any other region of the province.
In 2008, 38,000 people were employed in Northeast.
Women accounted for 43% of the workforce in the region, less than in any other region or in B.C. overall (average of 47%). This is likely a reflection of the region’s industrial structure, which is dominated by mining and forestry, industries that usually attract more male than female workers.
Men also outnumbered women in the region in 2008. There were 24,700 men and 22,300 women of working age.
Full-time employment in the region (83%) was greater than in any other region of the province. The average rate of full-time employment for all of B.C. was 80%.
Twenty-one percent of the workforce was self-employed, compared to just under 19% for the province as a whole.
Unemployment rates in Northeast are generally lower than in most other parts of the province. Between 1995 and 2008, the unemployment rate in the region averaged 5.7%, lower than in any other region and in B.C. as a whole (7.2%) in the same period. However, the rate has varied considerably over the last two decades, and at times has been higher than the provincial unemployment rate.
Northeast is the only gas-producing region in the province. This is reflected in the dominant role that oil and gas play in B.C.’s Mining industry. Although Northeast accounted for less than 2% of the total B.C. workforce in 2008, it had a 17% share of the province’s jobs in Forestry, Fishing and Mining – and the majority of those jobs were in the oil and gas sector.
For most other industries, the region’s share of the province’s employment was less than its share of the total workforce.
Service sectorBack to top
In the service sector, the region’s largest employers in 2008 were:
- Wholesale and Retail Trade – 13% of the region’s workforce
- Health and Social Assistance – 9%
- Education – 6%
Hospitals and other medical care facilities are located in most of the urban centres in the region, and with the relatively young population, there is a need for teachers and other workers in education.
Goods-producing industries account for a larger share of total employment in Northeast than in any other region. Of all the region’s workers, 39% were employed in the goods sector in 2008, compared with 22% for all of B.C.
The importance of the goods sector in Northeast’s economy is largely a result of its oil and gas industry. Virtually all of B.C.’s oil and gas resources are found in this region.
Other key employers in the region in 2008 were:
- Forestry, Fishing and Mining – 20% of the region’s workforce (with most workers being engaged in primary mining activities)
- Construction, which includes engineering construction activities related to the oil and gas industry, and building construction activities – 11%
- Manufacturing (mainly in the forest products industry) – 3%
- Agriculture, primarily growing grain and cattle ranching – 3%
The North Coast & Nechako development region is an amalgamation of two sparsely populated regions. They have been combined because the data for these regions individually would be too unreliable to report.
North Coast includes the northern coastal areas of B.C. and is made up of two regional districts:
- Kitimat-Stikine
- Skeena-Queen Charlotte
Nechako stretches through the central and far northwestern region of the province. It is also made up of two regional districts:
In 2011, North Coast & Nechako had a total population of 66,700.
According to statistics from 2008:
- the population of North Coast was 58,200
- most of the residents of North Coast (39,100) were in Kitimat-Stikine, which includes Terrace (10,800) and Kitimat (9,200)
- the population of Skeena-Queen Charlotte was 19,600, with most living in Prince Rupert (12,900)
- the population of Nechako was 39,600, making it the least populated region of the province
- almost all Nechako residents (38,500) lived in Bulkley-Nechako, which includes Smithers (5,300)
Population distribution Back to top
In 2008, 43% of North Coast & Nechako’s residents lived in rural (unincorporated) areas, proportionally more in this category than in any other region of the province.
Nechako, which borders the Yukon and Alaska, was the least populous and least urbanized region of the province. All of the residents of Stikine (650) lived in rural areas. In Bulkley-Nechako, just over half of the population (52%) lived in rural areas.
In North Coast, 45% of Kitimat-Stikine’s residents and 20% of Skeena-Queen Charlotte residents lived in rural areas.
The proportion of the North Coast & Nechako workforce employed, by regional district, was:
- Bulkley-Nechako – 39%
- Kitimat-Stikine – 38%
- Skeena-Queen Charlotte – 21%
- Stikine – 2%
Population age distribution Back to top
Like other northern regions of the province, North Coast & Nechako has a relatively young population. In 2008, the age distribution of the regional population was:
- working-aged residents (between 15 and 64) – 69% (compared with the B.C. average of 70% for this age group)
- children (under 15 years) – 20%
- seniors (65 years and older) – 11%
Only the Northeast development region has proportionally fewer seniors (8%) and more children (22%) than North Coast & Nechako.
In 2008, 44,100 people were employed in North Coast & Nechako.
More men than women in the region were of working age (15 to 64), but women accounted for more of the region’s workforce (48%) than they did in B.C. as a whole (47%).
About 80% of the region’s workers had full-time jobs, nearly the same proportion as in the province as a whole. However, 13% of the workers were self-employed, compared with 19% for the province as a whole.
Over the last two decades, unemployment rates in the region have generally been higher than in the rest of B.C. In some years, the difference has been significant.
From 1995 to 2008, the unemployment rate in North Coast & Nechako averaged 9.3% – more than in any other region except Cariboo (9.4%). The average unemployment rate for B.C. during the same period was 7.2%.
Although less than 2% of B.C.’s total workforce is located in North Coast & Nechako, the region accounts for a much larger share of total employment in some industries. In 2008, for example, 8% of British Columbians working in Forestry, Fishing and Mining lived in North Coast & Nechako. The region also accounted for 4% of all Manufacturing jobs in B.C.
As well, North Coast & Nechako had a larger-than-average share (3%) of the province’s total employment in the goods sector. However, several service sector industries also accounted for larger shares of total provincial employment than did the region’s workforce. Those industries included:
- Public Administration – 3% of the province’s workforce in this industry
- Transportation and Warehousing – 3%
- Wholesale and Retail Trade – 2%
- Accommodation and Food Services – 2%
- Health and Social Assistance – 2%
In 2008, the largest service sector employers in North Coast & Nechako were:
- Wholesale and Retail Trade – 16% of the region’s workforce,/li>
- Health and Social Assistance – 11%
- Accommodation and Food Services – 8%
- Transportation and Warehousing – 7% (mainly in activities related to the port of Prince Rupert)
As similar in other largely rural regions of B.C., employment in North Coast & Nechako depends more on goods-producing industries than is the case in the province as a whole. In 2008, these industries employed 31% of the regional workforce, compared with 22% at the provincial level.
The largest goods sector employers were:
- Manufacturing – 16% of the region’s workforce
- Forestry, Fishing and Mining – 8%
- Construction – 6%
Of the Manufacturing jobs, the highest employing industries were:
- Wood and Lumber Production – 40%
- Mineral Product Manufacturing – 25% (mostly at the Kitimat smelter)
- Food Processing – 16% (primarily seafood processing)
- Paper Industry – 10%
About half of all jobs in the Forestry, Fishing and Mining category were in forestry and logging activities. Primary mining employed about 3% of the region’s workforce.
The Thompson-Okanagan development region covers much of B.C.’s Interior, stretching from Princeton in the west to Golden and the B.C.–Alberta border in the east. Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon and Penticton are the largest cities in the region.
Thompson-Okanagan is made up of five regional districts:
- Central Okanagan
- Columbia-Shuswap
- North Okanagan
- Okanagan-Similkameen
- Thompson-Nicola
Population highlights
In 2011, Thompson-Okanagan had a population (15 years and older) of 527,700.
According to statistics from 2008:
- 12% of B.C.’s population lived in the region
- the population, by regional district, was:
- Central Okanagan (which includes Kelowna) – 180,100
- Thompson-Nicola (which includes Kamloops) – 130,100
- Okanagan-Similkameen (which includes Penticton and Summerland) – 82,400
- North Okanagan (which includes Vernon) – 81,900
- Columbia-Shuswap (which includes Salmon Arm and Revelstoke) – 53,000
Population distribution Back to top
In 2008, 20% of Thompson-Okanagan residents lived in rural (unincorporated) areas. The proportion of the population living in rural areas, by regional district, was:
- Columbia-Shuswap – 41%
- Okanagan-Similkameen – 30%
- North Okanagan – 23%
- Thompson-Nicola – 18%
In Central Okanagan, which has a large urban population, only 10% of the population lived in unincorporated areas.
The proportion of the Thompson-Okanagan workforce employed, by regional district, was:
- Central Okanagan – 36%
- Thompson-Nicola – 25%
- Okanagan-Similkameen – 15%
- North Okanagan – 15%
- Columbia-Shuswap – 10%
Population age distribution Back to top
In 2008, the age distribution of the Thompson-Okanagan population was:
- working-aged residents (between 15 and 64 years ) – 66% (a smaller proportion than in any other region or in the province as a whole at 70%)
- seniors (65 years and older) – 19% (a larger proportion than in any other region or in the province as a whole)
- children (under 15 years) – 15% (the second smallest proportion of any region, after Vancouver Island/Coast)
In 2008, 265,000 people were employed in Thompson-Okanagan.
Women made up 47% of the region’s workforce, about the same as the average for B.C.
Full-time employment in the region (79%) was also nearly the same as that in the province as a whole (80%).
About 21% of workers in the region were self-employed, compared with 19% for the province as a whole. This slightly higher proportion likely reflects the role of agriculture, forestry and construction in the region’s economy – industries that typically have a higher-than-average incidence of self-employment.
Between 1995 and 2008, the unemployment rate in Thompson-Okanagan averaged 7.9%, slightly more than the 7.2% average for all of B.C.
Thompson-Okanagan’s economy depends more on goods production than does the province as a whole. In 2008, about 27% of workers in the region were employed in the goods sector compared with 22% in B.C. While Thompson-Okanagan accounted for 11% of total employment in B.C., employment rates in some industries in the region were proportionally higher. For example:
- Agriculture – 21% of the region’s workforce
- Forestry, Fishing and Mining – 17%
- Construction industry – 15%
- Utilities – 13%
The service sector, however, is by far the larger employer in Thompson-Okanagan. In 2008, service sector industries employed 73% of the region’s workforce, compared with 78% for B.C. as a whole.
In the region, 14% of the province’s total workforce was employed in Health and Social Assistance and 12% in Accommodation and Food Services.
In Thompson-Okanagan, as in most of the province’s regions in 2008, Wholesale and Retail Trade was the largest employer, providing 16% of all jobs in the region – more jobs than in any other industry.
Health and Social Assistance employed 13% of the region’s workforce. The high proportion of jobs in this service sector is accounted for in part by the region’s large senior population, and in part by the region’s special treatment facilities, which provide services to British Columbians in various parts of the Interior.
In 2008, 8% of the region’s workforce was employed in Accommodation and Food Services, reflecting Thompson-Okanagan’s popularity as a vacation spot.
The influx of people into Thompson-Okanagan has contributed to a construction boom in the region. In 2008, 12% of workers there had jobs in Construction, considerably more than the average number employed in Construction for all of B.C.
Manufacturing employed 9% of the workforce in 2008. One in three manufacturing jobs was forest related, mainly in wood processing. Other key manufacturing activities in Thompson-Okanagan include fruit and vegetable processing and metal fabricating.
In 2008, Forestry, Fishing and Mining employed 3% of the region’s workforce. About 60% of these workers were employed in mining or mining-related services, such as mineral exploration and development. The other 40% were engaged in forestry and logging.
Agriculture employed about 3% of the regional workforce, in orchards and vineyards, as well as on farms and cattle ranches.
The Kootenay development region is located between the Thompson-Okanagan region in the north and west, the United States to the south, and the Rocky Mountains to the east.
Kootenay is made up of three regional districts:
- Central Kootenay
- East Kootenay
- Kootenay-Boundary
Population highlights
In 2011, Kootenay had a population (15 years and older) of 127,200.
According to statistics from 2008:
- just over 3% of British Columbians lived in Kootenay
- the population of the region was relatively evenly dispersed among its regional districts
- the population, by regional district, was:
- East Kootenay (which includes Cranbrook) – 59,000
- Central Kootenay (which includes Nelson, Castlegar and Creston) – 58,800
- Kootenay-Boundary (which includes Trail, Rossland and Grand Forks) – 31,900
Population distribution Back to top
In 2008, Kootenay was the second most rural region in B.C., with 40% of its residents living in rural (unincorporated areas). Only the North Coast & Nechako development region had a larger rural population (43%).
The proportion of the population living in rural areas, by regional district, was:
- Central Kootenay – 54%
- Kootenay-Boundary – 34%
- East Kootenay – 29%
The proportion of the Kootenay workforce employed, by regional district, was:
- East Kootenay – 43%
- Central Kootenay – 36%
- Kootenay-Boundary – 21%
Population age distribution Back to top
In 2008, the age distribution of the Kootenay population was:
- working-aged residents (between 15 and 64 years) – 67% (less than the B.C. average of 70% for this age group)
- seniors (65 years and older) – 17%
- children (under 15 years) – 15%
In 2008, 71,500 people were employed in Kootenay, representing 3% of total employment in the province.
Women made up nearly the same share of the regional workforce (46%) as they did of the provincial workforce (47%).
About 77% of the region’s workforce was employed full time, less than the provincial average of 80%.
Nearly 23% of all workers in Kootenay were self-employed, compared with 19% for all of B.C.
Between 1995 and 2008, the average unemployment rate in Kootenay was 8.6%, higher than the average of 7.2% for all of B.C.
In 2008, while Kootenay represented 3% of total employment in B.C., it accounted for more than 4% of all jobs in the province’s goods-producing sector.
Workers in Kootenay held about 15% of all B.C. jobs in Forestry and Mining, and 7% of all jobs in the province’s Agriculture industry.
As in the rest of the province, however, the service sector is by far the larger employer in Kootenay. In 2008, service industries employed 73% of the workforce.
Compared with other regions, Kootenay accounted for a higher-than-average share of total B.C. employment in:
- Accommodation and Food Services – 4% of the province’s workforce
- Wholesale and Retail Trade – 4%
- Education – 3%
Wholesale and Retail Trade was the largest service sector employer (18%). Other key industries included:
- Accommodation and Food Services – 10% of the region’s workforce
- Health and Social Assistance – 9%
- Education – 7%
In 2008, 31% of the region’s workforce was employed in goods-producing industries, compared with 22% of the provincial workforce employed in the sector.
Construction – accounting for 11% of the jobs in Kootenay – was the largest employer in the goods sector and the second largest employer overall in the region (after Wholesale and Retail Trade in the service sector).
The next main employers in Kootenay were Forestry, Fishing and Mining (10%) and Manufacturing (6%). Three-quarters of the jobs in the Forestry, Fishing and Mining category were in Mining – chiefly, Coal Mining.
Most of the manufacturing activities in Kootenay are related to the processing of natural resources. In 2008, wood (35%) and paper (11%) production together employed nearly half of all people working in Manufacturing. Mineral processing (23%) was another important Manufacturing employer.
About 3% of the region’s workers had jobs in Agriculture, mostly in gruit garming, as well as in greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production. Kootenay also has a significant number of cattle ranches and farms.
Vancouver Island/Coast Back to top
Vancouver Island/Coast includes Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and some of the coastal regions on the mainland. Victoria and Nanaimo are the largest city centres.
Vancouver Island/Coast is made up of nine regional districts:
- Alberni-Clayoquot
- Capital
- Central Coast
- Comox Valley*
- Cowichan Valley
- Mount Waddington
- Nanaimo
- Powell River
- Strathcona*
*Comox Valley and Strathcona were previously one district, so most labour market data is available only in the former Comox-Strathcona district.
In 2011, Vancouver Island/Coast had a population (15 years and older) of 655,600.
According to statistics from 2008:
- about half of all residents in the region lived in the Capital regional district (364,100), which includes Victoria and the surrounding area
- Nanaimo had the second-largest population in the region (145,900), with most residents living in the cities of Nanaimo (82,900) and Parksville (11,600)
Population distribution Back to top
In 2008, about 20% of Vancouver Island/Coast residents lived in rural (unincorporated) areas. The proportion of the population living in rural areas, by regional district, was:
- Cowichan Valley – 44%
- Alberni-Clayoquot – 33%
- Comox Valley – 33%
- Mount Waddington – 33%
- Powell River – 33%
- Nanaimo – 27%
- Strathcona – 24%
Central Coast (on the mainland) has no incorporated (urban) areas, so 100% of its population are considered to live in rural areas.
By contrast, Capital was the most highly urbanized of Vancouver Island/Coast’s regional districts, with 93% of its population living in municipalities, cities or towns.
The proportion of the total employed workforce in Vancouver Island/Coast, by regional district, was:
- Capital – 50%
- Nanaimo – 18%
- Comox Valley-Strathcona – 14%
- Cowichan Valley – 10%
The remaining 8% of the workforce was employed in the less populated regional districts.
Population age distribution Back to top
In 2008, fewer children (under 15 years) and working-aged residents (15 to 64 years) residents lived in Vancouver Island/Coast than in the province as a whole. The age distribution of the region’s population was:
- working-aged residents (between 15 and 64 years) – 68% (less than the B.C. average of 70% for this age group)
- children (under 15 years) – 14% (less than in any other region in B.C.)
- seniors (65 years and older) – 18%
In 2008, 394,200 people were employed in the region.
Working-aged women outnumbered working-aged men in Vancouver Island/Coast. Women also made up a slightly larger-than-average share of the region’s workforce (49%) compared with 47% for B.C. overall.
Most workers had full-time jobs (78%), slightly lower than that of the provincial average (80%).
Nineteen percent of the Vancouver Island/Coast workforce was self-employed, the same rate as for the province as a whole.
In 2008, Vancouver Island/Coast accounted for 17% of the province’s total workforce. However, the region had a much larger share of the province’s jobs in several industries:
- Public Administration (federal, provincial and local government) – 31% of the province’s workforce
- Health and Social Assistance – 22%
- Accommodation and Food Services – 20%
The relatively large proportion of public administration employment in Vancouver Island/Coast reflects Victoria’s role as B.C.’s capital.
Vancouver Island/Coast has a large concentration of service sector establishments in Victoria and its surrounding area, where there are a number of education, health and public sector institutions.
In 2008, the largest service sector employers were:
- Wholesale and Retail Trade – 16% of the region’s workforce
- Health and Social Assistance – 14%
- Accommodation and Food Services – 9%
- Public Administration – 8%
In 2008, construction was the largest employer in the goods sector, employing 10% of the region’s workforce – twice the percentage employed in Manufacturing.
In manufacturing, the main industry employers were:
- Food and Beverage (seafood processing being a key activity in food manufacturing)
- Paper Production and Wood Manufacturing industries (a number of pulp, paper and saw mills continue to operate in the region)
- Ship and Boat Building
- Aerospace Products
- Furniture Manufacturing
In the Forestry, Fishing and Mining category, forestry and logging activities employed more than half of the workers. Vancouver Island/Coast also employed more than half of B.C.’s total fishing industry workforce in 2008.
Agriculture employed 1% of the region’s workforce, with greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production being the significant employers. As well, almost all of the province’s aquaculture operations are located in Vancouver Island/Coast.
The Mainland/Southwest development region is located in the southwest corner of the B.C. mainland. It includes the Greater Vancouver area, the Fraser Valley and the Sunshine Coast, and stretches north to include Whistler, Pemberton and Lillooet.
Mainland/Southwest is made up of four regional districts:
- Fraser Valley
- Greater Vancouver
- Squamish-Lillooet
- Sunshine Coast
Population highlights
In 2011, Mainland/Southwest had a population (15 years and older) of 2,312,900.
According to statistics from 2008, the population, by regional district, was:
- Greater Vancouver Regional District – 2.3 million (most of the region’s 2.6 million residents of all ages)
- Fraser Valley (which includes Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission) – 276,300
- Squamish-Lillooet (which includes Whistler) – 37,800
- Sunshine Coast (which includes Sechelt and Gibsons) – 29,200.
Mainland/Southwest is the fastest-growing region in the province, having increased its share of the total population by more than three percentage points between 1995 and 2008.
Population distribution Back to top
Much of Mainland/Southwest is highly urbanized. In 2008, 98% of the region’s population lived in urban (incorporated) areas.
The region’s rural population (those living in unincorporated areas), by regional district, was:
- Sunshine Coast – 52% (of the region’s total population)
- Squamish-Lillooet – 18%
- Fraser Valley – 6%
- Greater Vancouver – 1%
Eighty-eight percent of the jobs in Mainland/Southwest were in the Greater Vancouver area – slightly more than the region’s share of B.C.’s total population. B.y comparison, just under 11% of the region’s jobs were in the Fraser Valley, slightly less than the region’s share of the total provincial population.
Population age distribution Back to top
In 2008, the age distribution of the Mainland/Southwest population was:
- working-aged residents (between 15 and 64) – 71% (the highest proportion in B.C. in that age category)
- children (under 15 years) – nearly 16% (similar to the B.C. average for this age category)
- seniors (65 years and older) – 13%
In 2008, 1.4 million people were employed in Mainland/Southwest, accounting for 61% of B.C.’s workforce.
Women made up 46% of those employed in the region.
Full-time employment in the region (81%) was nearly the same as that in the province as a whole (80%).
Just under 18% of the region’s workforce was self-employed in 2008, compared with 19% in the province as a whole.
Between 1995 and 2008, the unemployment rate in Mainland/Southwest averaged 6.6%, below the provincial average of 7.2% for the same period.
Vancouver is the financial and business capital of B.C., and is the location of head offices for many businesses that operate in the province, including financial institutions. This accounts for Mainland/Southwest’s higher-than-average share of the province’s total employment in a number of service industries, as well as in Utilities and Manufacturing.
In 2008, for example, the region accounted for:
- Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing – 73% of the province’s total jobs in this industry
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services – 71%
- Information, Culture and Recreation Services – 70%
- Utilities – 68%
- Manufacturing – 65%
Vancouver is also the location of the country’s largest and busiest deep-sea port and second-busiest airport. This accounts for the region’s 66% share of B.C.’s Transportation and Warehousing jobs.
Similarly, with its high number of post-secondary institutions, the region had a 66% share of the province’s jobs in Education in 2008.
In 2008, 80% of all jobs in Mainland/Southwest were in the service sector. Key employers in that sector were:
- Wholesale and Retail Trade – 15% of the region’s workforce
- Health and Social Assistance – 9%
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services – 9%
- Education – 8%
- Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing – 8%
In 2008, 20% of the region’s workforce was employed in the goods sector. Construction (9%) and Manufacturing (9%) accounted for the largest shares of total employment.
In Manufacturing, the dominant employment areas included miscellaneous manufacturing activities, food and beverage processing, metal fabricating and wood processing.
Agriculture (agricultural production and related food-processing activities) has also long been an important employer in Mainland/Southwest – especially in the Fraser Valley. Berry farms, greenhouses, floriculture and nursery operations, vegetable farms, and dairy and poultry farming operations are all located in Mainland/Southwest, as are some of the province’s aquaculture establishments.
Some of the region’s workforce is also employed in Forestry, Fishing and Mining, at head offices, in forests, at mills and mine sites, and on fishing vessels.
The Cariboo development region covers much of B.C.’s northern Interior, from the Cariboo plateau in the west to the Cariboo and Rocky Mountain ranges in the east.
Cariboo is made up of two regional districts:
- Cariboo
- Fraser-Fort George
Population highlights
In 2011, Cariboo had a population (aged 15 and older) of 127,400.
According to statistics from 2008:
- nearly 4% of British Columbians lived in the region
- the population, by regional district, was:
- Fraser-Fort George (which includes Prince George) – 95,900
- Cariboo (which includes Williams Lake and Quesnel) – 64,500
Population distribution Back to top
In 2008, Cariboo had a large rural population: 36% of its residents lived in unincorporated areas. Most of those were in the Cariboo regional district, where two out of three residents (about 66%) lived in rural areas. In Fraser-Fort George, by contrast, 16% of residents lived in rural areas.
The population of Prince George in the latter regional district was 74,100 in 2008 – accounting for about 60% of the region’s total number of residents.
Sixty-three percent of the regional workforce was employed in Fraser-Fort George in 2008 (compared with 60% of the regional population that lived in the district). The remaining 37% of the workforce was employed in the regional district of Cariboo.
Population age distribution Back to top
Cariboo has a relatively young population. In 2008, the age distribution was:
- working-aged residents (between 15 and 64 years) – 70% (the same as the B.C. average for this age group)
- children (under 15 years) – 18%
- seniors (65 years and older) – 12%
In 2008, 83,100 people were employed in Cariboo.
Women made up nearly the same share of the regional workforce (46%) as they did of the provincial workforce (47%).
About 80% of the region’s workforce was employed full time, nearly the same as the provincial average.
Just under 18% of the region’s workers were self-employed, compared with nearly 19% in the province as a whole.
From 1995 to 2008, the unemployment rate in Cariboo averaged 9.4%, compared with an average of 7.2% for the whole province in the same period.
Cariboo depends more on goods-producing industries than does the province as a whole.
In 2008, 28% of workers in Cariboo were employed in goods production compared with the 22% employed in the sector in B.C. overall. Except for Construction, every goods-producing industry in the region employed a larger-than-average proportion of the workforce.
Although only 4% of B.C.’s total workforce was located in Cariboo in 2008, several of the region’s industries employed a greater percentage of workers than those industries did for the province as a whole. Key among these:
- Forestry, Fishing and Mining – 11% of the province’s workforce
- Agriculture – 6%
- Utilities – 6%
- Manufacturing – 5%
The service sector, however, is by far the larger employer in Cariboo. In 2008, 72% of Cariboo’s workforce was employed in providing services.
Although most of the service industries in Cariboo accounted for a smaller-than-average share of total employment in B.C., the exceptions were in:
- Health and Social Assistance – 5% of the province’s workforce
- Wholesale and Retail Trade – 4%
- Public Administration – 4%
The relatively larger number of people working in the region’s Health and Social Service industry is a result of Prince George being the largest urban centre in northern B.C., with treatment facilities serving both the city’s population and people living in other parts of northern B.C.
As in most regions of B.C. in 2008, Wholesale and Retail Trade in Cariboo was the largest service sector employer (16%). This was followed by:
- Health and Social Assistance – 14% of the region’s workforce
- Accommodation and Food Services – 7%
- Education – 6%
Goods-producing industries employed 28% of the region’s workforce in 2008. Within the goods sector, the largest employer was Manufacturing (12%), followed by Construction (6%) and Forestry, Fishing and Mining (6%).
In Manufacturing, most workers were employed in the wood (60%) and paper (21%) industries. Another 6% worked in metal fabricating.
Of the Forestry, Fishing and Mining workforce, two out of three jobs were in forestry and logging.