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Thompson-Okanagan

Table of contents
Regional overview Population distribution Employment statistics
This region's industries and sectors B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2015-2025) for this region

Latest numbers for this region in April 2018

445,100
24,600
7.1 %
4.8 %
24,600

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

Regional overview

The Thompson-Okanagan economic region is located in the interior of the province. It stretches from Princeton in the west to Golden and the Alberta border in the east, to Osoyoos and the Washington state border in the south. Kelowna and Kamloops are the largest cities in the region.

Regional district Key cities
Regional district Central Okanagan Key cities Kelowna
Regional district Columbia-Shuswap Key cities Golden, Revelstoke
Regional district North Okanagan Key cities Vernon
Regional district Okanagan-Similkameen Key cities Oliver, Osoyoos
Regional district Thompson-Nicola Key cities Merritt, Ashcroft, Kamloops

Key facts

  • Thompson-Okanagan is the third most populated region in the province and home to 12 percent of the B.C. population.
  • According to the last census the population of the region was 520,803.
  • Just over 65 percent of the region’s population was of working age (15–64 years old) in 2015, the lowest share in the province. 
  • The median age of the region’s population (46.4 years) was significantly higher than the provincial median age of 40.6 years.
  • The region’s unemployment rate is consistently higher than the provincial rate. In 2015, it was 6.4 percent, compared with 6.2 percent for B.C
  • About 24 percent of B.C.’s Agriculture jobs were located in this region.

Population distribution

Regional district Population
Central Okanagan 179,800
Columbia-Shuswap 50,500
North Okanagan 81,200
Okanagan-Similkameen 80,700
Thompson-Nicola 128,500
Regional district total 520,800

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 Thompson-Okanagan
  •    % by age for B.C.
  • 0 - 14
  • 15 - 24
  • 25 - 54
  • 55 - 64
  • 65 - 90+

Source: 2015 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%
Thompson-Okanagan employment (2015):
250,000
Total B.C. employment (2015):
2,306,200

Source: 2015 Labour Force Survey

Unemployment rate

10-year unemployment rate in Thompson-Okanagan compared to B.C. rate (2005-2015)

  British Columbia
  Low:
4.3 %
  High:
7.7 %
Unemployment rate (2015):
6.2 %
10-year average:
6.2 %
  Thompson-Okanagan
  Low:
4.4 %
  High:
8.8 %
Unemployment rate (2015):
6.4 %
10-year average:
6.6 %

Source: 2015 Labour Force Survey

This region's industries and sectors

Industry Sector
Accommodation and Food Services Services
Agriculture Goods
Business, Building and Other Support Services Services
Construction Goods
Educational Services Services
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing Services
Fishing, Hunting and Trapping * Goods
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
Other Services Services
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Services
Public Administration Services
Transportation and Warehousing Services
Utilities Goods
Wholesale and Retail Trade Services

Note:*Data for this industry is from the combined dataset for Forestry, Fishing, Mining, Quarrying, Oil and Gas; therefore, the data for this industry was suppressed from reporting.

Source: 2015 Labour Force Survey

Goods and Services sectors

Share of employment in Goods and Service sectors (2015)

  Goods         Services

Source: 2015 Labour Force Survey

The Thompson-Okanagan region accounts for the third largest percent of provincial employment.

Service sector

With its hot, dry summers, Thompson-Okanagan is popular as both a vacation destination and a place for retirees to live. These factors play a role in the region’s relatively large share of provincial employment in some Service sector industries.

Goods sector

Thompson-Okanagan has some of the best agricultural land in the province and is a prime location for vineyards and orchards. There are also some cattle ranches in the region. In 2015, Thompson-Okanagan accounted for over twelve percent (12.3%) of provincial employment in the Goods-producing sector (agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas, fishing, hunting and trapping, utilities, construction and manufacturing). With its hot, dry summers, this region, in particular, accounted for nearly twenty-four percent of total agriculture jobs in B.C.

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2015-2025) for this region

Composition of job openings

 
New jobs due to economic growth:
31.0%
33,900 openings
 
Replacement of retiring workers:
69.0%
73,900 openings
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Employment outlook

  • 2016
  • 2020
  • 2025
Forecasted 10-year total employment growth:   34,600
Forecasted average annual employment growth rate:   1.3%

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Top 10 industries Job openings Employment
growth
Top 10 industries
Health Care and Social Assistance 17,100 2.0%
Wholesale and Retail Trade 16,100 1.3%
Accommodation and Food Services 13,500 1.5%
Construction 12,400 2.2%
Educational Services 7,400 1.5%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 6,800 1.5%
Manufacturing 6,700 -0.3%
Transportation and Warehousing 5,800 1.1%
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing 4,600 1.0%
Public Administration 4,100 1.3%
Top Industries for this region
Health Care and Social Assistance
Wholesale and Retail Trade
Accommodation and Food Services
Construction
Educational Services
Related Topics
Learn about B.C. industries Explore jobs in demand Read the B.C. Labour Market Outlook View labour market snapshots