BC ranked second in Canada for job vacancies
Lower Mainland has highest vacancy rate of any economic region
Outside of the Yukon, British Columbia had the highest job vacancy rate in the country for a province or territory during the first quarter of the year, Statistics Canada says.
BC had a rate of 2.9 per cent, ahead of Nunavut (2.7 per cent) which has a population of 37,315 people, but was just behind the 3 per cent posted by the Yukon, whose population is pegged at 37,642.
In the first quarter of 2016, the Lower Mainland had the highest job vacancy rate of any economic region, beating out Toronto (2.5 per cent) and Montreal (1.9 per cent). In these three economic regions, the number of job vacancies was highest in sales and service occupations.
Trade and transport workers and equipment operators are in high demand throughout the Lower Mainland.
Montreal has the highest offered hourly wage at C$23.75 (US$18.30), followed by Toronto (C$21.85 or US$16.83) and Vancouver’s Lower Mainland (C$19.45 or US$14.99).
Among the 140 occupational groups, food counter attendants and kitchen helpers have the largest number of vacancies at 18,000 openings.