Employment in British Columbia is projected to grow at an average of 1.2% per year and the province is expected to reach 3.1 million people employed by 2033, according to the BC Government’s 2023 Labour Market Outlook.
The Labour Market Outlook report is a 10-year forecast that assists present and prospective post-secondary students, individuals pursuing retraining, trade organizations and employers. The report forecasts job openings across 64 industries and 512 occupations. It includes the latest insights for informed choices regarding careers, education, skill development and recruitment.
Among the highlights:
- B.C. is expected to have about one million (998,000) job openings between 2023 and 2033.
- Approximately 65 percent of these future job openings will be to replace workers leaving the labour force, mainly through retirements.
- About 35 percent of the 10-year total job openings will be created through economic growth.
- About 75 percent of these job openings will require some form of post-secondary education or training.
- There is a more balanced future labour market than in previous years, meaning that the number of job seekers will essentially match the number of job openings. However, there may still be too few job seekers for certain occupations and some who are looking for work who will not have the skills that employers need.
- Filling future jobs will involve multiple labour supply sources, including young people (aged 29 or younger) entering the job force for the first time, new immigrants and workers coming from other parts of Canada.
The province has also launched the new Find Your Path digital tool, where users can explore in-demand careers and map out their educational journey with easy-to-navigate steps to guide them. Education and skill pathways have been mapped for more than 250 occupations, including many of the high-opportunity occupations identified in the latest Labour Market Outlook. More occupations will continue to be added on a regular basis.
