VICTORIA – B.C.’s new Labour Market Outlook anticipates more than one million job openings over the next decade, helping people to plan their education, skills training and career paths.

The 2025 forecast projects that people in B.C. can expect a wide range of job opportunities and career paths. Employment is projected to grow from 2.9 million in October 2025, to 3.3 million by 2035, averaging 1.2% growth per year.

The Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of job-market trends that helps governments, organizations, post-secondary institutions and employers make informed decisions about careers, education and skills training, and hiring. It provides people in B.C. with up-to-date information about current and future job opportunities, and how to prepare for them.

The 2025 Labour Market outlook reflects slower population growth due to the reduction in federal immigration levels. This has affected labour supply, the demand for some goods and services, and the demand for workers in certain sectors. 

The Labour Market Outlook does not fully reflect the recent fast-tracking of major projects, and employment projected in this outlook does not take into account the expected benefit to employment from these projects. 

The accuracy of any forecast depends on various assumptions about future events, many of which are unpredictable. Due to this, the B.C. Labour Market Outlook is revised annually to reflect changing circumstances.

Government is building B.C. into Canada’s economic engine, while staying focused on making education and training more accessible, affordable, relevant and responsive to workforce needs.

Quick Facts:

• Five key industries in B.C. will generate 58% of the job openings:
  • Health care and social assistance (199,200 job openings or 19% of the total)
  • Professional scientific and technical services (162,200 job openings or 15% of the total)
  • Retail trade (100,900 job openings or 10% of the total)
  • Construction (87,300 job openings or 8% of the total)
  • Finance, insurance and real estate (64,700 job openings or 6% of the total)
• In the next 10 years, 77% of the job openings and every high-opportunity occupation will require some type of post-secondary education and training, or previous experience.

Learn More:

For the 2025 edition of the B.C. Labour Market Outlook, visit: 
https://www.workbc.ca/research-labour-market/bc-labour-market-outlook

For a broader look at employment, hiring and training opportunities, visit:
https://www.workbc.ca/

To use the career transition tool, visit: https://www.workbc.ca/careertransitiontool/

For career education resources for teachers and counsellors, visit: https://careereducation.workbc.ca/ 

To access forecast data for all 512 occupations, industries and regions, visit: https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/labour-market-outlook

To learn more about the StrongerBC Economic Plan, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/plan