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North Coast & Nechako

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 August 2019

66,100
43,500
5.0 %
43,500

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

Regional overview

North Coast and Nechako are actually two separate economic regions. However, because these regions are adjacent to each other and have small population sizes, the data for each region are combined to report more reliable statistics. The two regions are located in the northwest part of the province. North Coast covers the northern coastal areas of the province as well as Haida Gwaii. Prince Rupert, Terrace and Kitimat are the major centres in the region. Nechako stretches from the B.C.–Yukon border in the north down to the central Lakes District of the province and is separated from the northeastern section of the province by the Rocky Mountain Trench.

Regional district Key cities
Regional district Bulkley-Nechako Key cities Burns Lake, Houston, Vanderhoof, Smithers
Regional district Kitimat-Stikine Key cities Kitimat, Terrace
Regional district Skeena-Queen Charlotte Key cities Masset, Prince Rupert, Queen Charlotte

Key facts

  • North Coast and Nechako is one of the less populated regions in the province, home to just over 2 percent of B.C.’s population.
  • According to the last census, the population of this region was 95,982.
  • About 68 percent of the region’s population was of working age (15-64). 
  • North Coast and Nechako has consistently had more unemployment than most other regions of the province. In 2015 the rate for this region was above the provincial average at 7 percent.
  • About 68 percent of employment in this region was in the Services-producing sector.

Population distribution

Regional district Population
Bulkley-Nechako 39,200
Kitimat-Stikine 37,400
Skeena-Queen Charlotte 18,800
Stikine 600
Regional district total 96,000

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 North Coast & Nechako
  •    % 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%
North Coast & Nechako employment (2017):
35,000
Total B.C. employment (2017):
1,935,000

Source: 2017 Labour Force Survey

Unemployment rate

10-year unemployment rate in North Coast & Nechako 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 %
  North Coast & Nechako
  Low:
5.8 %
  High:
11.0 %
Unemployment rate (2017):
5.8 %
10-year average:
8.2 %

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

The Service sector in this region had just over one percent share of provincial employment in the region in 2015.

The Port of Prince Rupert has expanded in recent years and now has the capacity to handle container traffic. The growth of the port has created more opportunities for employment in Transportation and Warehousing, which may explain the higher than average share of employment in that industry in North Coast and Nechako.

Goods sector

This region was home to less than three percent of jobs in the Goods-producing industry (agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas, fishing, hunting and trapping, utilities, construction and manufacturing). Forestry and logging operations account for a large portion of employment in this sector, but there are also some large mines in the region, and fishing is an important activity on the coast.

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

Composition of job openings

 
New jobs due to economic growth:
29.2%
3,800 openings
 
Replacement of retiring workers:
70.8%
9,200 openings
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Employment outlook

  • 2018
  • 2023
  • 2028
Forecasted 10-year total employment growth:   13,000
Forecasted average annual employment growth rate:   0.9%

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Top 10 occupations

 Job openings Employment
growth
Top 10 occupations
Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)
Job openings
430
Employment growth
0.8%
Retail salespersons (NOC 6421)
Job openings
420
Employment growth
1.3%
Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 0621)
Job openings
410
Employment growth
1.2%
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents (NOC 6733)
Job openings
290
Employment growth
0.8%
Heavy equipment operators (except crane) (NOC 7521)
Job openings
250
Employment growth
0.8%
Cooks (NOC 6322)
Job openings
230
Employment growth
1.6%
Cashiers (NOC 6611)
Job openings
230
Employment growth
1.4%
Social and community service workers (NOC 4212)
Job openings
230
Employment growth
1.2%
General office support workers (NOC 1411)
Job openings
210
Employment growth
0.9%
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 7311)
Job openings
200
Employment growth
0.5%

View all high demand occupations
Top 10 industries Job openings Employment
growth
Top 10 industries
Construction 2,800 -0.3%
Health Care and Social Assistance 2,300 2.2%
Retail Trade 2,300 1.3%
Accommodation and Food Services 1,100 1.3%
Manufacturing 1,100 0.6%
Public Administration 1,100 0.9%
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services 1,100 1.2%
Transportation and Warehousing 1,100 1.0%
Educational Services 700 -0.2%
Information, Culture and Recreation 700 2.2%
Top Industries for this region
Construction
Health Care and Social Assistance
Retail Trade
Accommodation and Food Services
Manufacturing
Related Topics
Learn about B.C. industries Explore jobs in demand Read the B.C. Labour Market Outlook View labour market snapshots