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Cariboo

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Regional overview Population distribution Employment statistics

This region's industries and sectors B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2021-2031) for this region

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Latest numbers for this region in December 2022

Total regional population (age 15+): 143,400

Total regional employment: 85,000

Regional unemployment rate: 4.9 %

Total regional employment: 85,000

Source: Monthly Labour Force Survey, 3-month moving average, seasonally unadjusted

Regional overview

The Cariboo economic region covers much of the northern interior of the province, ranging from the Cariboo plateau in the west to the valleys of the Cariboo and Rocky Mountain ranges. It includes the city of Prince George, which acts as a major service centre for the northern half of the province.

Regional district	Key cities
Regional district Cariboo	Key cities Williams Lake, Quesnel, 100 Mile House
Regional district Fraser-Fort George	Key cities Prince George, Mackenzie

Key facts

Cariboo is one of the less populated regions.
The share of the region’s population of working age (15-64) is similar to the provincial share.
Unemployment in Cariboo has consistently been higher than in the province as a whole.
Manufacturing activities have a strong presence in the region.
Jobs in Other Primary (forestry, mining, oil and gas, fishing, hunting and trapping) are located in the Cariboo region.

Population distribution

Regional district	Population
Cariboo	65,600
Fraser-Fort George	104,000
Regional district total	169,600

Note:Regional district numbers may not add up to regional district total due to rounding.

Source: 2020 BC Stats (population)

Age distribution

Age
% by age for Cariboo
% by age for B.C.

0 - 14
15 - 24
25 - 54
55 - 64
65 - 90+

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Employment statistics

Full-time employment rate by region

Region

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland / Southwest
North Coast & Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island / Coast

Full-time employment rate

B.C. average: 79%

Cariboo employment (2020):

65,500

Total B.C. employment (2020):

1,965,700

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Unemployment rate

10-year unemployment rate in Cariboo compared to B.C. rate (2010-2020)

British Columbia

Low:

4.7 %

High:

8.9 %

Unemployment rate (2020):

8.9 %

10-year average:

6.4 %

Cariboo

Low:

5.6 %

High:

10.0 %

Unemployment rate (2020):

10.0 %

10-year average:

7.2 %

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

This region's industries and sectors

Industry	Share of this region's employment	Share of B.C. employment	Sector
Accommodation and Food Services	Share of this region's employment 5.6 %	Share of B.C. employment 2.7 %	Sector Services
Agriculture and Fishing	Share of this region's employment 1.5 %	Share of B.C. employment 1.9 %	Sector Goods
Business, Building and Other Support Services	Share of this region's employment 2.7 %	Share of B.C. employment 2.3 %	Sector Services
Construction	Share of this region's employment 7.7 %	Share of B.C. employment 2.8 %	Sector Goods
Educational Services	Share of this region's employment 6.3 %	Share of B.C. employment 2.9 %	Sector Services
Finance, Insurance and Real Estate	Share of this region's employment 3.2 %	Share of B.C. employment 1.6 %	Sector Services
Forestry and Logging with Support Activities	Share of this region's employment 7.1 %	Share of B.C. employment 17.4 %	Sector Goods
Health Care and Social Assistance	Share of this region's employment 16.3 %	Share of B.C. employment 4.1 %	Sector Services
Information, Culture and Recreation	Share of this region's employment 2.8 %	Share of B.C. employment 2.1 %	Sector Services
Manufacturing	Share of this region's employment 10.9 %	Share of B.C. employment 5.4 %	Sector Goods
Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction	Share of this region's employment 4.1 %	Share of B.C. employment 7.3 %	Sector Goods
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	Share of this region's employment 4.7 %	Share of B.C. employment 1.7 %	Sector Services
Public Administration	Share of this region's employment 4.6 %	Share of B.C. employment 3.2 %	Sector Services
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services	Share of this region's employment 5.5 %	Share of B.C. employment 4.3 %	Sector Services
Retail Trade	Share of this region's employment 23.2 %	Share of B.C. employment 3.4 %	Sector Services
Transportation and Warehousing	Share of this region's employment 6.9 %	Share of B.C. employment 4.2 %	Sector Services
Utilities	Share of this region's employment N/A	Share of B.C. employment N/A	Sector Goods
Wholesale Trade	Share of this region's employment 6.7 %	Share of B.C. employment 3.2 %	Sector Services

N/A - Data not available

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Goods and Services sectors

Share of employment in Goods and Service sectors (2020)

Goods Services

Source: 2020 Labour Force Survey

Service sector

The top three Service sectors ranked by the highest share of employment are: Other services, Wholesale and retail trade, and Public administration.

Goods sector

B.C.'s Goods sector (Agriculture, Forestry, Mining, oil and gas, Fishing, hunting and trapping, Utilities, Construction and Manufacturing) jobs in Cariboo are heavily dependent on forest sector operations.

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2021-2031) for this region

Composition of job openings

New jobs due to economic growth:
17.9%
3,700 openings

Replacement of retiring workers:
82.1%
16,700 openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Employment outlook

2021
2026
2031

Forecasted 10-year total employment growth:	20,400
Forecasted average annual employment growth rate:	0.4%

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Top Ten occupations	Job openings	Employment growth
Top Ten occupations
Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)	Job openings 690	Employment growth 0.3%
Social and community service workers (NOC 4212)	Job openings 660	Employment growth 1.1%
Cooks (NOC 6322)	Job openings 530	Employment growth 1.4%
Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 0621)	Job openings 500	Employment growth 0.7%
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413)	Job openings 440	Employment growth 1.0%
Administrative officers (NOC 1221)	Job openings 430	Employment growth 0.7%
Retail sales supervisors (NOC 6211)	Job openings 420	Employment growth 0.7%
Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (NOC 6711)	Job openings 370	Employment growth 1.6%
Retail salespersons (NOC 6421)	Job openings 350	Employment growth 0.6%
Light duty cleaners (NOC 6731)	Job openings 340	Employment growth 0.4%

View all high opportunity occupations

Top Ten industries	Job openings	Employment growth
Top Ten industries
Health Care and Social Assistance	Job openings 3,500	Employment growth 1.5%
Retail Trade	Job openings 2,200	Employment growth 1.3%
Manufacturing	Job openings 1,900	Employment growth 0.4%
Accommodation and Food Services	Job openings 1,800	Employment growth 1.6%
Transportation and Warehousing	Job openings 1,700	Employment growth 1.6%
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services	Job openings 1,500	Employment growth 1.8%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	Job openings 1,200	Employment growth 2.6%
Public Administration	Job openings 1,100	Employment growth 0.5%
Educational Services	Job openings 900	Employment growth 0.9%
Construction	Job openings 900	Employment growth 0.7%

Top Industries for this region

Cariboo

Latest numbers for this region in December 2022

Regional overview

Key facts

Population distribution

Age distribution

Employment statistics

Full-time employment rate by region

Region

Unemployment rate

This region's industries and sectors

Goods and Services sectors

Share of employment in Goods and Service sectors (2020)

Service sector

Goods sector

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2021-2031) for this region

Composition of job openings

Employment outlook

Top Ten occupations