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Cariboo

Table of contents
Regional overview Population distribution Employment statistics
This region's industries and sectors B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2018-2028) for this region
View full profile

Latest numbers for this region in October 2019

128,300
81,000
6.9 %
81,000

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, McBride

Key facts

  • Cariboo is one of the less populated regions in B.C., accounting for only four percent of the province’s population. According to the last census, the population was 154, 271.
  • About 69 percent of the region’s population was of working age (15–64 years old), the same share as for the province as a whole.
  • Unemployment in Cariboo has consistently been higher than in the province as a whole; in 2015 the region’s unemployment rate of 7 percent was higher than the provincial rate.
  • Manufacturing activities provided about 12 percent of jobs in the region in 2015.
  • Just over 7 percent of B.C.’s Other Primary (forestry, mining, oil and gas, fishing, hunting and trapping) jobs were located in the Cariboo region.

Population distribution

Regional district Population
Cariboo 62,400
Fraser-Fort George 91,900
Regional district total 154,300

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

Source: 2015 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: 2017 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: 78%
Cariboo employment (2017):
65,000
Total B.C. employment (2017):
1,935,000

Source: 2017 Labour Force Survey

Unemployment rate

10-year unemployment rate in Cariboo compared to B.C. rate (2007-2017)

  British Columbia
  Low:
4.3 %
  High:
7.7 %
Unemployment rate (2017):
5.1 %
10-year average:
6.2 %
  Cariboo
  Low:
5.2 %
  High:
12.1 %
Unemployment rate (2017):
7.4 %
10-year average:
7.3 %

Source: 2017 Labour Force Survey

This region's industries and sectors

Industry Sector
Accommodation and Food Services Services
Agriculture and Fishing Goods
Business, Building and Other Support Services Services
Construction Goods
Educational Services Services
Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Services
Forestry and Logging with Support Activities Goods
Health Care and Social Assistance Services
Information, Culture and Recreation Services
Manufacturing Goods
Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction Goods
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Services
Public Administration Services
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services Services
Retail Trade Services
Transportation and Warehousing Services
Utilities Goods
Wholesale Trade Services

Source: 2017 Labour Force Survey

Goods and Services sectors

Share of employment in Goods and Service sectors (2017)

  Goods         Services

Source: 2017 Labour Force Survey

Service sector

Over three percent of B.C.'s Service sector jobs were located in this region. The top three Service sectors ranked by the highest share of employment are: Other services, Wholesale and retail trade, and Public administration.

Goods sector

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

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2018-2028) for this region

Composition of job openings

 
New jobs due to economic growth:
9.9%
1,800 openings
 
Replacement of retiring workers:
90.1%
16,300 openings
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Employment outlook

  • 2018
  • 2023
  • 2028
Forecasted 10-year total employment growth:   18,100
Forecasted average annual employment growth rate:   0.3%

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Top 10 occupations

 Job openings Employment
growth
Top 10 occupations
Retail salespersons (NOC 6421)
Job openings
570
Employment growth
0.4%
Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 0621)
Job openings
550
Employment growth
0.5%
Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)
Job openings
550
Employment growth
-0.3%
Social and community service workers (NOC 4212)
Job openings
510
Employment growth
1.2%
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents (NOC 6733)
Job openings
440
Employment growth
0.5%
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413)
Job openings
390
Employment growth
1.6%
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012)
Job openings
390
Employment growth
1.0%
Light duty cleaners (NOC 6731)
Job openings
340
Employment growth
0.8%
Administrative officers (NOC 1221)
Job openings
330
Employment growth
0.3%
General office support workers (NOC 1411)
Job openings
320
Employment growth
0.6%

View all high demand occupations
Top 10 industries Job openings Employment
growth
Top 10 industries
Construction 3,400 1.4%
Manufacturing 2,700 0.1%
Retail Trade 2,500 0.4%
Transportation and Warehousing 1,700 0.2%
Accommodation and Food Services 1,400 0.9%
Educational Services 1,400 -0.3%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 1,400 0.8%
Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction 1,300 0.6%
Wholesale Trade 1,000 0.8%
Business, Building and Other Support Services 900 1.1%
Top Industries for this region
Construction
Manufacturing
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Accommodation and Food Services
Related Topics
Learn about B.C. industries Explore jobs in demand Read the B.C. Labour Market Outlook View labour market snapshots