COURTENAY – Contrary to recent media reports stating that employment growth in BC has been limited to Vancouver and Victoria, the Island Coastal region has posted solid growth of 1.7% in the past year.
The Island Coastal region includes all of Vancouver Island outside of the Victoria metropolitan area, as well as coastal areas from Powell River north to the Central Coast. It is the only rural area to show employment growth in the past year.
“Even better news for regional residents is growth in full time employment, which was 6% last year, the highest in BC.” stated Mayor Phil Kent, Chair of the Island Coastal Economic Trust. “Full time jobs are an indicator of higher quality employment, associated with higher incomes and better non-wage benefits.”
The region saw a net increase of 3,000 jobs from 2015 to 2016. Additionally, an impressive conversion of 4,800 part-time jobs to full-time jobs was also noted in the survey.
“For the past 10 years, our region has been working collaboratively to diversify the economy and create new employment,” Kent said. “Thanks to the funding we received from the Province of BC, we have been able to invest in economic infrastructure initiatives, which have contributed to some of the economy’s key job growth sectors.”
Data analysis was provided by ICET’s consulting economist Jamie Vann Struth based on Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey. Further economic analysis data about the ICET region is available on the ICET website.