BC/Yukon Region - Labour Force Survey - June 2007

• Some Full-Time Work Slips to Part-Time
• Wages in BC for Post-Secondary and University Educated Full-Time Workers Compared to Canadian Average
• Summary of Labour Force Survey Results
       - Summary Data - BC
       - Employment by Industry - BC
       - Employment by Sector - BC
       - Unemployment Rates by Age & Sex - BC
       - Unemployment Rates - Provinces
       - Unemployment Rates - BC Economic Regions

 

Some Full-Time Work Slips to Part-Time

In June there was little change in overall employment in British Columbia, and the employment rate of 63.4% and the unemployment rate of 4.4% were not significantly different from the figures for May. However, there were some 32,000 fewer full-time jobs and 29,000 more part-time jobs. It is quite likely that these almost equal and offsetting figures are the result of certain workers having their hours reduced to part-time in June, since many changes were in the same industries and age groups.

Construction employment at 199,000 in June is practically unchanged from its 200,000 figure in May, an all-time record, and the sector is employing 22,000 more people than last June. At 210,000 jobs the manufacturing industries in BC have increased employment since May and are up by 22,000 or 9% compared to last June. The success of manufacturing in BC is in sharp contrast to the national situation, where manufacturing across Canada has lost 103,000 jobs over the last twelve months. The overall year-to-year gain of 69,000 jobs is clearly being led by the basic goods sectors, which produced 46,000 or two thirds of the increase. In the service producing sectors, there are better than average (3.2%) increases in financial and professional services, food and accommodation, and public administration. In addition, most of the increase, some 42,000 jobs, was self-employed.

BC's unemployment rate of 4.4% is tied with Saskatchewan as the second lowest in the country, Alberta being the lowest of all. All regions of BC have rates under 5% except the North Coast-Nechako.

Employment trends in British Columbia and Yukon

Although employment in British Columbia was little changed in June, it has grown by 1.9% so far in 2007 with the largest increases in retail and wholesale trade as well as in construction. A substantial increase in the number of people working part time in June was offset by a decline in full-time employment.

...the employment rate in the Yukon fell from 73.5% in June 2006 to 70.0% in June 2007 (three-month average).

Source: Statistics Canada Daily, July 6, 2007

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Wages in BC for Post-Secondary and University Educated Full-Time Workers Compared to Canadian Average

Data collected by the Labour Force Survey over a ten year period shows that university educated workers in BC face lower wage offers compared to the national averages for their levels of schooling and training, especially when compared with other workers in this province who have more job-oriented schooling.

Those with post-secondary certificates, whether from community colleges or trade schools, or from universities where the certificate is below the Bachelor's degree level, have a wage premium in BC. They are presently paid about 4 to 5 percent higher than their counterparts across Canada, when the comparison is made for full-time workers on a weekly basis. This premium is now only half of what it was a decade ago when the differences were in the 8 to 10 percent range.

For workers with university educations the story is quite the opposite. Their level of full-time weekly wages in the last two years has been from 3 to 7 percent below the Canada-wide average for similarly educated people. As with the post-secondary certificate group, the situation for BC workers has generally deteriorated over time. And where the penalty for working in BC used to be experienced only by males, female workers in BC with university credentials are now paid less than the national average for their schooling level as well.

The lower pay for university educated workers will make it difficult for BC to compete in attracting scientific and technical professionals from other provinces. Conversely, BC employers seeking to hire technicians and trades people can reasonably expect adequate numbers of applications.