1. Home
  2. Labour Market & Industry
  3. B.C. & Regional Profiles
Back

Kootenay

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 June 2019

123,200
72,100
5.8 %
72,100

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

Regional overview

The Kootenay economic region is located in the southeast corner of the province, between the Rocky Mountains to the east, the United States to the south and the Thompson-Okanagan region to the north and west. Cranbrook is the largest population centre in the region.

Regional district Key cities
Regional district Central Kootenay Key cities Nelson, Castlegar, Slocan, Creston
Regional district East Kootenay Key cities Fernie, Cranbrook, Kimberly
Regional district Kootenay Boundary Key cities Trail, Rossland

Key facts

  • Over three percent of B.C.’s population lives in Kootenay. According to the last census, the population was 146,264.
  • Kootenay had the highest median age of all the economic regions (46.9 years).
  • Unemployment in this region has consistently been higher than in the province as a whole; in 2015 the region’s unemployment rate of 7.4 percent was higher than the provincial rate.
  • In 2015, around 10 percent of all Kootenay jobs were in the Other Primary sector (forestry, mining, oil and gas, fishing, hunting and trapping).
  • Around 32 percent of jobs in Kootenay were in Goods-producing sector industries, the second highest proportion of any of the regions.

Population distribution

Regional district Population
Central Kootenay 58,400
East Kootenay 56,700
Kootenay Boundary 31,100
Regional district total 146,300

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 Kootenay
  •    % 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%
Kootenay employment (2017):
54,000
Total B.C. employment (2017):
1,935,000

Source: 2017 Labour Force Survey

Unemployment rate

10-year unemployment rate in Kootenay 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 %
  Kootenay
  Low:
4.9 %
  High:
9.4 %
Unemployment rate (2017):
7.3 %
10-year average:
7.2 %

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

Kootenay has about 2.5 percent of B.C.’s Service sector jobs. With the abundance of mountain ranges in Kootenay, including the Rocky Mountains, the region is a popular destination for skiers and nature lovers alike. Tourism activities create employment opportunities in the Accommodation and Food Services industry.

Goods sector

Kootenay accounted for 4.4 percent of jobs in B.C.’s Goods sector (Agriculture, Forestry, Mining, oil and gas, Fishing, hunting and trapping, Utilities, Construction and Manufacturing). Most of these jobs were in Mining, particularly coal mining. Several hydroelectric dams, including the Seven Mile, Kootenay Canal, Waneta, Keenleyside and Brilliant dams, are located in the region, creating employment in the Utilities industry.

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

Composition of job openings

 
New jobs due to economic growth:
18.3%
4,400 openings
 
Replacement of retiring workers:
81.7%
19,700 openings
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Employment outlook

  • 2018
  • 2023
  • 2028
Forecasted 10-year total employment growth:   24,100
Forecasted average annual employment growth rate:   0.6%

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Top 10 occupations

 Job openings Employment
growth
Top 10 occupations
Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 0621)
Job openings
790
Employment growth
0.7%
Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)
Job openings
730
Employment growth
0.7%
Retail salespersons (NOC 6421)
Job openings
690
Employment growth
0.6%
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413)
Job openings
520
Employment growth
2.1%
Administrative officers (NOC 1221)
Job openings
500
Employment growth
0.8%
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents (NOC 6733)
Job openings
500
Employment growth
0.8%
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012)
Job openings
480
Employment growth
1.6%
Heavy equipment operators (except crane) (NOC 7521)
Job openings
460
Employment growth
-0.2%
Light duty cleaners (NOC 6731)
Job openings
400
Employment growth
1.3%
Social and community service workers (NOC 4212)
Job openings
350
Employment growth
1.1%

View all high demand occupations
Top 10 industries Job openings Employment
growth
Top 10 industries
Health Care and Social Assistance 4,500 1.8%
Manufacturing 2,600 0.4%
Retail Trade 2,500 0.7%
Construction 1,800 0.5%
Public Administration 1,600 0.5%
Educational Services 1,500 0.4%
Business, Building and Other Support Services 1,400 1.1%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 1,300 0.6%
Transportation and Warehousing 1,300 0.6%
Accommodation and Food Services 1,200 1.4%

Note:The Forestry and Logging with Support Activities industry includes support activities for Agriculture.

Top Industries for this region
Health Care and Social Assistance
Manufacturing
Retail Trade
Construction
Public Administration
Related Topics
Learn about B.C. industries Explore jobs in demand Read the B.C. Labour Market Outlook View labour market snapshots