BC – BC Stats’ latest figures confirm jobs and wages in the province’s technology sector have broken a new record as the industry continues to flourish.
BC Stats’ Profile of the British Columbia Technology Sector: 2016 Edition shows BC’s technology sector remains a top provincial performer; employing 101,700 people earning a weekly average salary of $1,590 – 75% higher than the average wage in BC, and higher than the Canadian technology sector average of $1,480/week.
BC also led the country in terms of job growth. Employment in the tech sector rose 2.9%, surpassing BC’s overall employment growth of 2.5% and national tech sector employment growth of 1.1%. The sector now employs approximately 4.9% of BC’s workforce and is the third-largest tech workforce in Canada. BC’s technology sector employs more people than the mining, oil and gas, and forestry sectors combined.
The gross domestic product (GDP) of British Columbia’s tech sector expanded 2.4% in 2015, contributing $14.1 billion to BC’s overall economic output. Tech revenue climbed 5% to approximately $26.3 billion – the highest level ever recorded.
The new numbers, based on data ending December 2015, highlight the importance of BCs technology industry to the overall economy. Technology is essential today to every business across all sectors, and the stronger the technology sector is, the more competitive business becomes.
In partnership with the BC Innovation Council, the province is hosting BC’s second #BCTECH Summit, March 14-15, 2017, with made-in-BC tech innovations, thought-provoking keynotes and outstanding networking opportunities.
