Provincial Employment Potential Information

The following table identifies employment conditions within British Columbia.

Additional Provincial Prospects

Visit the Provincial Job Futures for information on the current trends and the future outlook for occupations in this province or territory. This Web site is a joint effort of the federal, provincial and territorial governments. You can view a report specific to this occupation on: Provincial Job Futures - (Employment Prospects section) Web Site.

Labour Market Bulletins

An analysis of the local labour market and an assessment of local employment-related events.

• April 2013 | (PDF, 495 KB)
• March 2013 | (PDF, 231 KB)
• February 2013 | (PDF, 229 KB)
• January 2013 | (PDF, 250 KB)
• Annual Edition 2012 | (PDF, 463 KB)

Provincial / Territorial Labour Market News

Week of May 06 – May 10, 2013

• Richmond-based Helijet International has secured $3.5M in new flight contracts, which will expand its presence along BC’s central and north coast
• The film industry injected $408M into Burnaby’s economy in 2012, according to a municipal report. Productions valued at nearly $154M employed over 2,400 residents and benefited 72 local businesses.
• Wet'suwe'ten First Nation have threatened to shut down an expansion of Huckleberry Mines Ltd. in northern BC if their demands for jobs are not met.
• BC's overall economic growth was the weakest among provinces in 2012; however, residential and engineering construction posted above average growth
• Victoria's Royal Road University plans to add new programs and hire 30 more employees this year
• Target has opened nine new stores across the province
• Construction is underway to restore the Babine Forest Products mill near Burns lake. The mill, which was destroyed by fire last year, is expected to be operational again by early 2014.
• The shortened Vancouver Canucks hockey season negatively affected the city's retail and hospitality sales, which could mean reduced work hours for some workers in these sectors over the next month

Week of Apr 29 – May 03, 2013

• Engineering jobs are strongest in BC and Alberta, according to a recent Engineers Canada report titled Engineering Labour Market in Canada: Projections to 2020.
• Demand for lumber has reached a six-year high; however, more than half of the commercial pine in BC, Canada’s largest timber exporter, has been lost to the pine beetle infestation.
• International Forest Products has purchased two Kootenay region timber tenures that will sustain production at the company’s Castlegar sawmill. According to the most recent figures available, the mill employs over 100 people.
• West Fraser Mills’ Chetwynd Forest Industries division is proceeding with Phase 2 of a $35M Chetwynd sawmill upgrade that will enable the company to maintain a two-shift operation with increased production
• In a restructuring move, California-based Electronic Arts closed two subsidiary Vancouver video game studios on April 25. PopCap Games employed about 30 people and Quicklime Games employed about 60.
• Vancouver’s video game industry has set up a website to assist recently laid off games workers find employment. The industry is also holding a job fair on May 3 at EXP Bar from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
• In late March 2013, the Justice Institute of BC announced it would be eliminating 30 jobs in order to reduce operating costs. The Vancouver-based educational facility has yet to finalize any decisions.
• North Vancouver’s Capilano University is considering eliminating 200 courses from 10 programs, including Studio Art, Textiles, Software Design, Computer Science and Commerce, to manage a budget deficit. The final decision will be delivered in May 2013.
• Construction of the $100M mixed-use Monaco high-rise development in downtown Kelowna should begin this fall and last two and a half years
• Construction on the new $7.4M NorKam Trades and Technology Centre in Kamloops will begin in September 2013 and last nearly a year
• Kitimat is undergoing a real estate boom due to energy export activities

Week of Apr 22 – Apr 26, 2013

• New 'Construction Looking Forward' reports are forecasting workforce demand by skilled trade for each province. The reports are available from Buildforce Canada, formerly the Construction Sector Council of Canada.
• BC’s advertising and public relations sectors anticipate a business and employment boost after the May 2013 provincial election
• BC Central 1 Credit Union predicts the 2013 summer job search will be difficult for BC students, due to economic uncertainty. Seasonal resource sector opportunities should be available in northern BC.
• A $500M mixed-use Port Coquitlam development, currently under construction, is expected to create hundreds of service sector and light industrial jobs when completed in 2018
• The Vancouver Sun and The Province newspaper employees have been advised that layoffs are imminent, due to declining revenues. The papers will first seek voluntary layoffs through a buyout program.
• The Manning Park Ski Resort that was scheduled to close on April 1, 2013 has been sold to a new owner who hopes to retain the existing 15 employees and hire more people
• Investment in non-residential construction in Metro Vancouver hit a record high in the first quarter of 2013, and has been climbing steadily for nearly a year and a half
• To save $11.5M in 2013-2014, Coquitlam School District 43 plans to eliminate 142 positions, including teachers, education assistants and support staff. Attrition is expected to offset some of the reductions.
• The Corporation of Delta is hosting its first Trades & Technical Career Fair on May 8, 2013. The event is geared to Delta high school students.
• Edmonton-based AFD Petroleum is opening a fuel distribution centre in Langford in May to service Vancouver Island homes and businesses. AFD is seeking a Class 1 Fuel Driver and Office Administrator for the centre.
• Work has begun on a $9M yacht club in Kelowna; construction will last for a little over a year. Most of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing consultants are local.
• A number of companies are interested in developing BC's coast for the processing and export of liquefied natural gas
• A $30M multi-use building has been proposed for a vacant lot in downtown Prince Rupert

Week of Apr 15 – Apr 19, 2013

• The BC Council of Forest Industries reports that most BC lumber mills have returned to two shifts and are experiencing a shortage of drivers and trucks to move wood products
• Cascade Aerospace in Abbotsford has been awarded a $225M federal contract to maintain Canada’s Hercules aircrafts for at least the next five years. Cascade employs more than 600 employees, most of them aircraft maintenance engineers.
• Richardson International’s $120M North Shore grain terminal expansion will create 150 construction jobs over two years starting in mid-April 2013. Another 40 to 50 permanent grain-handling jobs will be created when construction ends in 2015.
• In June 2013, Japan’s Namco Bandai Studios is opening a video game studio in Vancouver that will employ 30 people
• Slant Six Games has temporarily laid off employees to save costs while it negotiates new business. The Vancouver video game company employed 60 people prior to the April 10 layoff, its third workforce reduction since 2010.
• The Delta School Board is planning to eliminate 16 full-time jobs in the 2013-2014 school year to cope with a budget deficit and declining enrollment
• In late June 2013, Mountain Equipment Co-op is opening a store in Langley that will employ 25 people, including five senior staff. The 16,000 sq.-ft. outdoor goods store will be MEC’s fourth in BC and 17th in Canada.
• The University of Victoria plans to eliminate 82 full-time equivalent jobs in 2013-2014 because of a budget deficit. Of these, 36 are vacant and officials hope attrition will take care of the remainder. UVic currently employs 4,500 people.
• An ABC Country Restaurant in Saanich was destroyed by a fire on April 11, putting 25 people out of work. The owners are making efforts to place the affected employees in other restaurants in the community.
• Penny Land Bargain Outlets, a non-profit retailer of liquidated goods in Summerland, will close on May 31, 2013 due to sluggish sales. The charity shop, which raised funds for youth organizations, employs three full-time and several part-time workers.
• Construction has begun on the $90M Road, Rail, and Utility project at the port of Prince Report. The project will employ 90 people during its two-year construction phase.
• The Province has received interest from four companies to develop natural gas terminals in Prince Rupert. Six other proposals were announced in the past two years.