Labour
There were 38,000 people working in Northeast in 2008. Of these, 83% had full-time jobs, a larger percentage than in any other region of the province. The average rate of full-time employment for all of BC was 80%.
Self-employment is quite common in the region, with nearly 21% of the workforce being self-employed. This compares to just under 19% for the province as a whole.
Women make up a much smaller share (43%) of the workforce in Northeast than in any other region. The average for all of BC is 47%. The relatively low percentage of female workers is likely a reflection of the region’s industrial structure, which is dominated by mining and forestry, industries that usually attract more male than female workers. As well, males outnumber females in the region. There were 22,300 working-aged women living in Northeast in 2008, considerably less than the male population (24,700) aged 15 to 64.
Unemployment rates in Northeast are generally lower than in most other parts of the province. Between 1995 and 2008, the jobless rate in Northeast averaged 5.7%, well below the 7.2% rate for all of BC. In fact, Northeast’s average jobless rate was lower than in any other region during this period. However, there is a lot of variability in the region’s unemployment rate, and it has not remained below the provincial rate throughout the entire period. For example, around the turn of the century, the jobless rate in Northeast was higher than BC’s.
