Regions of British Columbia
This guide will help you find the information you need to start working in British Columbia. You can use the menu buttons to move between sections of the guide.
Economic Regions
The economy in British Columbia is constantly evolving. These changes will affect both the number and type of jobs that are available. Over the next decade (2023-2033), it is projected that there will be nearly one million job openings in BC. Approximately 65% of these openings will be to replace workers as they retire, with the remaining 35% representing new positions created through economic growth.
The demographic makeup of new job seekers in BC is expected to consist primary of newcomers to Canada (46%) and young British Columbians aging out of school and entering into the workforce (47%). There will also be a small proportion of new job seekers migrating to BC from other provinces and territories in Canada (7%).
It is anticipated that over half of all BC job openings during this 10-year period will come from the following five broad industry groupings:
- Health care and social assistance (17%)
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (14%)
- Retail trade (10%)
- Educational services (7%)
- Construction (7%)
Because British Columbia covers such a large expanse, the average statistics for BC as a whole may not hold true in every part of the province. The map of BC can be divided along geographical lines into eight distinct economic regions, each of which experiences its own unique labour market conditions. Although the vast majority (85%) of the BC population lives in urban areas, with around 60% residing in the Mainland/Southwest region alone, there is a demand for workers in all regions of the province.
Sources: WorkBC, Trade and Invest BC, Government of BC