B.C. labour outlook forecasts 1M job openings over next decade
B.C. labour outlook forecasts 1M job openings over next decade
Those looking for jobs in our province may be in luck -- as the government projects a million job openings in the next decade, and the biggest demand will be for health-care and technology workers.
The latest B.C. Labour Market Outlook shows the employment in the province is expected to reach 3.1 million by 2032, after adding 1,017,000 job openings over the course of a decade.
According to the 2022 forecast, which was released Wednesday, employment will rise by 1.3 per cent annually over the course of a decade—in large part due to growth in the health care and tech sectors, as well as higher immigration levels.
It's good and bad news, said Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Minister Selina Robinson.
"The biggest challenge that we've been hearing from businesses is the need for people," she explained.
Even with immigrants and other Canadians moving to the province, there's still an eight percent gap to be made up. That's not great news for businesses already facing labour shortages.
The outlook shows of those million job openings over the next decade, roughly two-thirds will be due to retirements. Health care and tech workers will be in the highest demand and 80 percent of jobs will require post-secondary education.
In a technical briefing, staff told reporters that by about 2030 net natural population growth is expected to be zero percent. Meaning not enough people will be born in B.C. to fill the jobs.
She acknowledged immigration would need to be a key part of the strategy. Roughly 40 per cent of the jobs are expected to be filled by immigrants.
"This why we have the Provincial Nominee Program it's why we continually engage with the federal government. Of course, they're responsible for immigration. We're continually reminding them about what our needs are."
Robinson added work was also underway to help those here get jobs. She pointed to a provincial strategy to increase network connectivity, to provide affordable childcare, and faster credentialing for those already here. In addition, she said the government knows it must increase training spaces.
Liberal leader Kevin Falcon told reporters he's concerned the province won't be able to attract the required workers.
"We know that in the health-care sector that 123,000 people are required over the next 10 years. The NDP is in their second term, they only recently— in the last six months – they only just recently talked about expanding the training spaces for medical doctors in British Columbia," he said.
If people do come to the province, housing is in short supply and one in five British Columbians doesn't have a family doctor.
The forecast highlights how shifting demographics will impact B.C.’s labour market. Higher federal immigration targets, for example, added 41,000 workers to the province between 2021-2022.
People new to Canada are expected to fill 38 per cent of openings by 2032, with workers from other parts of the country forecast to fill 8 per cent of available positions.
Mid-career professionals, who tend to be Millennials, are the fastest growing demographic of workers, according to the LMO. “This group will need to be supported during career transitions through responsive re-skilling,” reads the forecast summary.
People aged 29 or younger who are entering the labour force for the first time are expected to fill nearly half of all job openings, or 47 per cent.
According to the province, jobs will open up across the province, with the most populous region, the south coast, leading the way.
Mainland/southwest: 654,600 job openings
Vancouver Island/coast: 176,700 job openings
Thompson-Okanagan: 120,000 job openings
Kootenay: 21,900 job openings
Cariboo: 18,500 job openings
North Coast and Nechako: 15,400 job openings
Northeast: 9,700 job openings
The most in-demand jobs requiring a degree are as follows, according to the Labour Market Outlook.
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
Information systems analysts and consultants
Computer programmers and interactive media developers
Diploma/certificate, excluding apprenticeship:
Retail and wholesale trade managers
Administrative officers
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
Apprenticeship certificate:
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
Hairstylists and barbers
Contractors and supervisors, heavy-equipment operator crews
High school and/or occupation-specific training:
Retail sales supervisors
Restaurant and food-service managers
Longshore workers
For those with trades experience, the biggest demand will be for:
Cooks
Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
Construction trades helpers and labourers
Hairstylists and barbers
Carpenters
Heavy equipment operators (except crane)
Electricians (except industrial and power system)
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
As Joe Biden makes his first trip to Canada as president of the United States, CTVNews.ca is offering live coverage of the leader's visit. Follow our live blog on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app for the latest updates.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
An Ontario couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
The idea of using firing squads is making a comeback in the U.S. Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorizing firing squads, currently Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
The United States' first lady will be given a sweeping introduction to Canadian sports culture in Ottawa today as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau takes Jill Biden to the curling rink.
A first-of-its kind study in British Columbia suggests salmon hatcheries could improve survival rates by optimizing the weight of the juvenile fish and the timing of their release.
A Victoria man’s life of crime has turned into one of survival, hope and advocacy amid ongoing conversations in the community about how best to tackle public safety matters.
The Calgary Police Service confirms charges have been laid against a driver in connection with Thursday's crash of a semi-truck into the 32nd Avenue N.E. overpass along Deerfoot Trail.
With Calgary Board of Education students set to kick off spring break once the final bell rings Friday afternoon, some Calgarians are eager to leave the country in pursuit of warmer weather with their families.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Toronto Coun. Josh Matlow broke council’s code of conduct by criticizing two public employees on Twitter before retaliating against one of them after she filed a complaint, the city’s integrity commissioner has found.
With fares set to increase in a matter of days, a new report has found that Torontonians are already paying more than residents in most other cities for transit when compared to average incomes.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
Montreal police say they don't think they'll find more than seven bodies in the rubble of an Old Montreal building that caught fire eight days ago. Police told reporters today they don't have reports of more people missing, adding that it's "improbable" there are more than seven victims.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
An alleged victim of a former staff member of Legacy Christian Academy can now be identified after she successfully petitioned in court to have a publication ban lifted.
In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s provincial budget, school divisions in Saskatchewan were expecting funding levels to increase, with the province repeatedly touting its $1 billion surplus.
A recent report from the province’s privacy commissioner says the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI) failed to take appropriate steps after patient treatment files were discovered in a recycling bin.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
A St. Catherines man has been charged after a reported robbery in London. Around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, police were called to the parking lot at Cherryhill Village Mallon Oxford Street after witnesses reported that a man with a knife was demanding items from another man.
A woman is in hospital with critical injuries after an overnight house fire in north London. Crews were called to the scene on Adelaide Street near Dufferin Avenue around 1:20 a.m.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
An uncommon phenomenon lit up the skies across southern Ontario on Thursday night, including in Waterloo region where the aurora borealis – also known as the northern lights - shone bright enough to see with the naked eye.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville. There was no winner Thursday night so the total prize money is now an estimated $1,526,067.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
