These areas will see the most job openings in B.C. over the next 10 years

From health care and technical services to construction and retail, these sectors are expected to dominate the million new jobs anticipated over the next decade

There’s some good news for millennials on the job front in the next decade: They’re the fastest growing demographic of workers in B.C. and they’ll have one million jobs to choose from, with the biggest opportunities in health care and the science and tech sector.

That’s according to the latest figures in B.C.’s labour market outlook, which was released Wednesday.

Of the one million job openings over the next decade, health care and social assistance, and professional, scientific and technical services will provide the most opportunities, with nearly 150,000 jobs available in each sector. That’s followed by the retail trade, construction and educational services.

B.C. will have 3.1 million workers by 2032, up from the current 2.7 million. The labour shortage, which has seen some businesses scale back hours or close because of lack of staff, is expected to continue, however, with 81,500 positions forecast to remain open in the next decade.

Selina Robinson, B.C.’s minister of post-secondary education and future skills, said while the labour market points to “significant job opportunities for people over the next decade, we also know this represents a challenge for employers … (and that) local labour shortages are having a big impact here in British Columbia.”

Robinson said the province will continue to reduce the barriers to post-secondary training in B.C. and recruit skilled workers from abroad through the provincial nominee program.

About a third of the one million new jobs in the next decade are new jobs added to the market through economic growth, while the rest are due to people retiring or leaving the workforce.

Vancouver Island, B.C.’s South Coast and the Thompson-Okanagan regions will see the highest job growth, as workers and employers take advantage of lower housing costs in centres such as Kelowna, Victoria and Nanaimo.

In B.C.’s Mainland/Southwest region, the most in-demand job over the next 10 years will be computer systems design jobs, with 60,520 job openings. On Vancouver Island, the highest in-demand job will be the retail sector, followed by business and building support services.

In the Thompson-Okanagan area, home to B.C.’s flourishing wine and fruit industry, the most job opportunities will be in the retail industry, with 10,250 jobs available over the next decade. In the Kootenays, the biggest opportunities lie in the retail and mining sector.

In the North Coast, workers will be needed in retail and the transport truck industry.

Nearly 80 per cent of the new jobs will require some level of post-secondary education or training. About half of the job openings in the next decade will be filled by young people starting work, while 38 per cent will be filled by immigrants.

The most in-demand job in the skilled trades will be cooks, with 2,610 job openings in the next 10 years.

kderosa@postmedia.com

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