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Forestry and Logging with Support Activities

Table of contents

Overview Workforce Employment Earnings

Location of work Employment outlook Related careers Additional resources

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Overview

Employment summary

Growth (2019-2020):

-3.9%

Job growth (2019-2020):

-700

Total employment (2020):

17,200

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Key points

The majority of employment in this industry occurs in the Vancouver Island / Coast region.
Wages for men in this industry are above the provincial average, while wages for women are similar to the provincial average.
This industry has a large union presence and offers mostly full-time employment.
Relatively few women work in the industry.

The Forestry and Logging industry consists of companies engaged in growing and harvesting timber on a long cycle, 10 or more years. (Companies involved in growing and harvesting timber on a cycle of less than 10 years are considered to be in crop production.)

Workforce

Gender

Employment by gender in 2020

Men: 50%

Women: 50%

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Provincial average in 2020

Men: 52%

Women: 48%

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Age groups

% of employees under 25 years of age

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

% of employees 55 years and older

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

N/A - Data not available

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Employment

Types of employment

	2015	2020	B.C. average (2020)
Part time (% of employees working part time)	2015 9%	2020 12%	B.C. average (2020) 21%
Self-employed (% of employees who are self-employed)	2015 16%	2020 24%	B.C. average (2020) 18%
Temporary jobs (% of employees in temporary jobs)	2015 20%	2020 13%	B.C. average (2020) 11%

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Workplace

% of workers in firms less than 20 employees

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

% of workers in private sector jobs

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Unemployment rate

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Earnings

Average hourly wages in this industry

Men

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Women

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Youth

2015
2020
B.C. average (2020)

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Location of work

% employment of this industry

% employment of all industries

Vancouver Island / Coast

Mainland / Southwest

Thompson-Okanagan

Kootenay

Cariboo

North Coast & Nechako

Northeast

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Employment outlook

			2021	2026	2031
Forecasted employment			2021 18,900	2026 15,200	2031 14,200

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted average annual employment growth rate

2021 - 2026
2026 - 2031

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted industry share of total employment

2021
2026
2031

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)

Logging machinery operators (NOC 8241)

Chain saw and skidder operators (NOC 8421)

Logging and forestry labourers (NOC 8616)

Additional resources

British Columbia Forest Safety Council (BCFSC)
http://www.bcforestsafe.org/

Council of Forest Industries (COFI)
http://www.cofi.org/

Forest Practices Board
https://www.bcfpb.ca/

Forestry Innovation Investment (FII)
http://www.bcfii.ca/

Interior Logging Association
http://www.interiorlogging.org/

Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/forests-lands-natural-resource-operations-and-rural-development

Latest numbers for B.C. in April 2022