Fall 2017

Executive Summary
Manufacturing remains an important part of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), and makes
up to 11% of the national gross domestic product (GDP). In 2013, British Columbia (BC)
accounted for approximately 8.5% of the total Canadian manufacturing GDP. Within the province
of BC, in 2013, the manufacturing sector is the fourth largest industry, contributing nearly 7%
towards the provincial GDP.
This report examines the manufacturing sector in the province, and explores its contributions to
the Columbia Basin-Boundary region. This report looks specifically at indicators in the following
areas:




Manufacturing sector establishments;
Economic contributions; and
Employment within the manufacturing sector.

This, and the following page presents relevant sector highlights.
Manufacturing sector establishments
The manufacturing sector is made up of a number of subsectors: Fabricated metal product, food,
beverage and tobacco, machinery, paper, primary metal, transportation equipment, wood
product, and other.1
In 2016, BC. was home to 18,891 manufacturing facilities, with the Kootenay Development
Region containing 4% or 756.2 The Central Kootenay Regional District has the highest number of
manufacturing facilities with 386, the East Kootenay follows with 247, and the Kootenay
Boundary has the fewest with 123.

Economic contributions within the manufacturing sector
Manufacturing sales in BC rose for the seventh straight year, up 4.2% to $45.9 billion in 2016. 3
The increase in 2016 was led by the wood product (+10.3% to $9.5 billion) and the primary metal
(+33.0% to $3.4 billion) industries.3
The value of shipments by BC. manufacturing firms increased to $4.8 billion in 2014, which
marked the fifth year in a row manufacturers experienced an increase in revenues. 4
Sales growth in BC. was strongest in the manufacturing of transportation equipment and
machinery, followed by wood products manufacturing.4
In 2015, median hourly wages in the Kootenay Development Region were the third highest in the
province at $28.85, after the Cariboo and the Northeast, and higher than the provincial and
national averages. In comparison, the median hourly wage for all employees in all sectors of the
economy in the Kootenays was $23.90.
Employment forecast within the manufacturing sector
The manufacturing sector accounts for 8.9% of total employment in the Kootenay Development
Region, constituting the fifth highest employing sector after health and social assistance (12.5%),
wholesale and retail trade (11.4%), construction (10.5%), and forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying,
oil and gas (11.0%). The manufacturing sector in the Kootenay Development Region has
experienced a 28% increase in employment since 2014, and employed 6,000 people in 2016.
In the Kootenay Development Region, the fabricated metal product manufacturing industry,
food, beverage and tobacco industry, machinery manufacturing, and transportation equipment
manufacturing subsectors will all see the highest rates of job growth in the manufacturing sector
at 1.8% between 2016 and 2025.
In total, there are an anticipated 2,148 job openings forecast for the manufacturing sector by
2025 in the Kootenay Development Region. The primary metal manufacturing subsector will see
the highest number of job openings between 2015 and 2025 with 734 positions, accounting for
30% of all jobs in the province within that subsector.
In the Kootenay Development region, the top occupations expected to generate the largest
number of new job openings between the years 2017 – 2025 include: retail and wholesale trade
managers, retail salespersons, and transport truck drivers. The occupations with the highest,
sustained demand in the South East region, include retail salespersons, transport truck drivers,
retail and wholesale trade managers, food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related
support occupations.

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Introduction
This report is part of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
funded project entitled, Regional Workforce Development in Rural BC. The purpose of this profile
is to identify current manufacturing sector market trends and issues, including current and
projected labour market needs to help workforce development partners within the Columbia
Basin-Boundary region understand and respond to changing labour market demands. This
manufacturing sector labour market profile identifies characteristics that comprise the BC
manufacturing sector, including performance in terms of production, and contribution to the
regional economy.
The guiding research questions include:
1.
2.

What is known about the manufacturing sector within the Columbia Basin-Boundary
region and how does the region compare provincially and nationally?
What are the current and projected labour market needs for the Columbia BasinBoundary region?

Methodology
The Manufacturing Labour Market Profile was prepared by reviewing the following sources (see
Appendix A: References and Resources):
 Industry research of publically available studies and reports;
 Industry data and statistics collected from publically available sources such as Statistics
Canada, BC Stats, Work BC;
 Secondary research documents, such as regional economic studies; and
 Labour Force Survey data purchased through Statistics Canada.
Data related specifically to the labour market for the manufacturing industry was selected, as
well as economic data that illustrates the status of the labour market. Additional information on
a sector in the Columbia Basin-Boundary region may be available as part of the State of the Basin
report prepared by the Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute.
Statistics are not frequently reported for the Columbia Basin-Boundary region making it
challenging in some instances to report on statistics for the Columbia Basin-Boundary in its
entirety. For instance some data is collected
at a Development Region level and the
Columbia Basin-Boundary covers three
Development Regions: Revelstoke and
Golden in the Thompson-Okanagan region,
Valemount in the Cariboo region, and the
entirety of the Kootenay Development
Region (see Figure 1). In other instances,
data is reported for the South East region,
including the Thompson-Okanagan and
Kootenay Development Regions, but
excludes Valemount.
Figure 1: BC Development Regions as defined by Work BC i,28
This report was researched and prepared between January 2, 2017—June 30, 2017.

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The Columbia Basin-Boundary
Located in the southeast corner of British Columbia, the Columbia Basin-Boundary region (see
Figure 2) includes the Regional Districts of East Kootenay, Central Kootenay, Kootenay Boundary,
in addition to Revelstoke, Golden, Valemount and Columbia Shuswap Regional District Areas A
and B. With an approximate land area of 83,171 square kilometres, the region accounts for 9% of
the size of British Columbia, and is abundant with valleys and mountain ranges including the
Purcells, Selkirks and Monashees.

Figure 2: The Columbia Basin-Boundary Region
With a regional population of 162,900, it accounts for 3.5% of the provincial population.5 The
overall population is aging and while different communities have different population projections
the overall regional population projection is steady with no large gains or losses.5
The economy is primarily resource-based with forestry and mining as key economic drivers. The
region’s hydro-electric power generation accounts for approximately 44% of electricity
generated in the province and the region is home to British Columbia’s largest coal fields. 6 The
Columbia Basin-Boundary region is also amenity-rich, supporting a vibrant tourism industry.
The labour market in the Kootenay Development Region is currently strong with the second
highest job growth of the seven development regions reported between 2010-2015 (3.5%).6
However, while 54.2% of residents have some post-secondary education, only 5.1% have a
university certificate, diploma, or degree above a bachelor’s degree, and 9.9% have a university
bachelor’s degree. These are both lower than BC and Canada, where in BC 8.1% have a university
certificate, diploma, or degree above a bachelor’s degree, and 14.0% have a university bachelor’s
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degree. For Canada, it is 7.5% and 13.3% respectively.7 It is important to note that provincially
more than 78% of all future job openings will require post-secondary education, including 36%
that will require a bachelor's, graduate or first professional degree and/or significant work
experience.8 The unemployment rate in the Kootenay Development Region in March of 2017 is
6.4%.9

Characteristics of the Manufacturing Sector
The manufacturing sector comprises activities that require the physical or chemical
transformation of materials or substances into new products. These products may be finished, in
the sense that they are ready to be used or consumed; or semi-finished, to be used as an input
by another manufacturer or industry. Related activities, such as the assembly of the component
parts of manufactured goods, the blending of materials, and the finishing of manufactured
products by dyeing, heat-treating, plating and similar operations are also treated as
manufacturing activities.
Advanced manufacturing is a commonly referenced term which is widely defined as
“manufacturing that involves the use of technology to improve products and/or processes, with
the relevant technology being described as ‘advanced,’ ‘innovative,’ or ‘cutting edge.’”10 This
labour market profile includes advanced manufacturing, but also looks at the larger
manufacturing sector as most of the data is not classified along advanced manufacturing
categories.
Manufacturing in Canada
Manufacturing remains an important part of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), as it does
for many other member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD).4 Canada’s manufacturing sector makes up more than 10% of the total GDP or $173
billion11, similar to countries like the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands.4
Manufacturers export more than $318 billion each year representing 61% of all of Canada’s
merchandise exports.11 The sector is responsible for 1.7 million jobs across the country.11
Manufacturing in BC
The manufacturing sector is a primary generator for growing BC exports, comprising 67% of
goods shipped.12 A wide range of high-value products and components are produced for
international and domestic markets. In 2015, manufacturing generated $15 billion in GDP and
supported 172,500 jobs in BC.12 Of the goods manufactured in BC, 64% are exported to
international destinations, with the United States being the largest trade partner (57% of all
exported manufactured goods), followed by China (18% of all exported manufactured goods).4
Exports to China have become increasing important, due primarily to the export of wood and
wood products, which accounted for 81% of all goods exported to China in 2014.4
Domestically, BC’s biggest trading partner of manufactured goods is Alberta. 4 In 2013, BC
accounted for approximately 8.5% of the total Canadian manufacturing GDP. This made it the
fourth largest contributor of manufacturing sector GDP to the country’s total manufacturing
GDP, after Ontario (44.5%), Quebec (25.7%), and Alberta (11.1%).4
Within the province, in 2013, the manufacturing sector was the fourth largest industry,
contributing nearly 7% towards the provincial GDP. The finance, insurance, real estate and
leasing sector, construction sector, and health care and social assistance sector all contributed
more to the provincial GDP than the manufacturing sector. 4
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Manufacturing sales in BC rose for the seventh straight year, up 4.2% to $45.9 billion in 2016.3
The increase in 2016 was led by the wood product (+10.3% to $9.5 billion) and the primary metal
(+33.0% to $3.4 billion) industries.3 The value of shipments by BC manufacturing firms increased
to $4.8 billion in 2014, which marked the fifth year in a row manufacturers experienced an
increase in revenues.4
Sales growth in BC was strongest in the manufacturing of transportation equipment and
machinery, followed by wood products manufacturing.4 Primary metal manufacturing firms
experienced a decline in revenues in 2014.4
The provincial manufacturing sector in BC is more reliant on natural resources than other
manufacturing provinces in Canada, with nearly 70% of BC’s sector originating from resourcebased manufacturing.4 BC’s top manufacturing industries in 2013 were wood products (nearly
24%), food (approximately 12%), and paper (nearly 8%).4

Number of Persons
(1,000)

Since the 1980’s, overall employment in the BC manufacturing industry has remained relatively
constant. As shown in Figure 3, following a decline in 2008 the number of people employed has
fluctuated from a high of 172,500 in 2015 to a low of 151,700 in 2013. Employment numbers in
the manufacturing industry have yet to recover to 2008 levels.
250.0
200.0

193.4 191.3 197.4 177.9

154.5 154.6 156.8 164.8 151.7 161.4

172.5 170.1

150.0
100.0
50.0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Year

Figure 3: British Columbia Manufacturing Employment, Annual Averages, 2005 - 201613
Just 26% of the employed labour force in the manufacturing sector were women in 2014. In
comparison, nearly 48% of the employed labour force across all sectors is female. 4
Manufacturing Sector Classifications: NAICS
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS i) was used to define the
manufacturing sector.4 This report focuses on NAICS 31, 32, and 33. Refer to Appendix B for a
detailed list of NAICS codes relating to the manufacturing sector.
Manufacturing Sector Composition
The manufacturing industry is made up of a number of sub-industries: Fabricated metal product,
food, beverage and tobacco, machinery, paper, primary metal, transportation equipment, wood
product, and other.1

i

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system composed of sectors (twodigit codes), subsectors (three-digit codes), industry groups (four-digit codes), industries (five-digit codes) and country
specific industries (six-digit codes)
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1.

NAICS 332 - fabricated metal product manufacturing

“The fabricated metal product manufacturing industry comprises establishments
primarily engaged in forging, stamping, forming, turning and joining processes to
produce ferrous and nonferrous metal products, such as cutlery and hand tools,
architectural and structural metal products, boilers, tanks and shipping containers,
hardware, spring and wire products, turned products, and bolts, nuts and screws.”14
2.

NAICS 321 – wood product manufacturing

“There are three industry groups in this subsector, comprising establishments engaged
in sawing logs into lumber and similar products, or preserving these products; making
products that improve the natural characteristics of wood, by making veneers, plywood,
reconstituted wood panel products or engineered wood assemblies; and making a
diverse range of wood products, such as millwork.”15
3.

NAICS 311 & 312 – food and beverage and tobacco product manufacturing

“The food manufacturing industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in
producing food for human or animal consumption. The beverage and tobacco product
manufacturing industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing
beverages and tobacco products.”16
4.

NAICS 333 – machinery manufacturing

“The machinery manufacturing industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in
manufacturing industrial and commercial machinery. These manufactures assemble
parts into components, subassemblies and complete machines. They may make the
parts themselves, using general metal-working processes, or purchase them.”17
5.

NAICS 322 – paper manufacturing

“The paper manufacturing industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in
manufacturing pulp, paper and paper products. The manufacture of pulp involves
separating the cellulose fibres from other impurities in wood, used paper or other fibre
sources. The manufacture of paper involves matting these fibres into a sheet. Converted
paper products are produced from paper and other, materials by various cutting and
shaping techniques.”18
6.

NAICS 331 – primary metal manufacturing

“The primary metal manufacturing industry comprises establishments primarily engaged
in smelting and refining ferrous and non-ferrous metals from ore, pig iron or scrap in
blast or electric furnaces. Metal alloys are made with the introduction of other chemical
elements. The output of smelting and refining, usually in ingotii form, is used in rolling
and drawing operations to produce sheet, strip, bars, rods and wire, and in molten form
to produce castings and other basic metal products.”19
7.

NAICS 336 – transportation equipment manufacturing

“The transportation equipment manufacturing industry comprises establishments
primarily engaged in manufacturing equipment for transporting people and goods. The
ii

Ingot is a mold in which metal is cast.27
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industry groups are based on the various modes of transport - road, rail, air, and water.
Three industry groups are based on road transportation equipment - for complete
vehicles, for body and trailer manufacture and for parts.”20
8.

NAICS 313, 314, 315, 323, 325, 326, 327, 335, 337 & 339 – other manufacturing

The ‘other’ category includes the following manufacturing subsectors: textile mills,
clothing manufacturing, leather and allied product manufacturing, printing and related
support activities, petroleum and coal product manufacturing, chemical manufacturing,
plastics and rubber product manufacturing, non-metallic mineral product
manufacturing, computer and electronic product manufacturing, electrical equipment,
appliance and component manufacturing, furniture and related product manufacturing,
and miscellaneous manufacturing.21

Manufacturing Sector Trends & Outlook in the Columbia Basin–Boundary
The following indicators will be examined within the Columbia Basin-Boundary region:




Manufacturing sector establishments;
Economic contributions; and
Employment within the manufacturing sector.

These indicators are presented in detail below, including a description of what is measured and
its importance, as well as current data and trends where available.
Manufacturing sector establishments
In 2016, BC was home to 18,891 manufacturing facilitiesiii, with the Kootenay Development
Region containing 4% or 756.2 A data request from BC Stats indicates that the count of
manufacturing businesses in the Columbia Basin-Boundary was just slightly higher at 840. Figure
4 provides a comparison between the three Regional Districts in the Columbia Basin-Boundary.
The Central Kootenay Regional District has the highest number of manufacturing facilities with
386 in 2016, a slight increase from 2015. The East Kootenay follows with 247 in 2016, a slight
decrease from 2015; and the Kootenay Boundary has the fewest with 123 in 2016, a slight
decrease from 2015.iv

iii

The count includes establishments with and without employees.
A change in methodology in 2014 means that comparing data with previous years may provide
inaccurate results.
iv

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450
382 386

Number of busineses

400
350
300
250

251 247
2015

200
127 123

150

2016

100
50
0
East Kootenay

Central Kootenay Kootenay-Boundary
Regional District

Figure 4: Count of manufacturing businesses by regional district, 2015 - 20162
Economic contribution
The manufacturing sector in British Columbia is a vital part of the economy with major
employment centers in the province (see Figure 5). In 2016, manufacturing was concentrated in
the Lower Mainland – Southwest regions with 66.4% of all people employed in manufacturing
working in that region. The Thompson–Okanagan region is the second largest Development
Region to employ people in the manufacturing sector with 10.6%, followed closely by Vancouver
Island and the Coast with 10.5%, the Cariboo region with 5.5%, and the Kootenay Development
Region with 3.5%. The number of people employed in the manufacturing sector has ebbed and
flowed in the Kootenay Development Region since 2001, with a high of 10,200 (2004) to a low of
4,200 (2008). In 2016, there were 6,000 people employed in the manufacturing sector in the
Kootenay Development Region, representing a 28% increase since 2014.

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Number of Persons (1,000)

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Year
Vancouver Island and Coast

Thompson-Okanagan

Kootenay

Cariboo

North Coast and Nechako
Figure 5: Number of Persons (in thousands) employment by manufacturing 2001-201622,v
Figure 6 shows that 2007 was the peak employment rate in the manufacturing industry with
8.3%, followed by a sharp decline from which the industry is still recovering. The manufacturing
employment rate in the Kootenay Development Region in 2015 was 5.3%.
9.0

Employment Rate (%)

8.0

8.3
7.6
6.9

7.0
6.0
5.0

4.2

5.3

4.7

5.2
4.5

5.3

4.7

4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Year
Figure 6: Manufacturing employment in the Kootenay Development Region from 2006 to 2015 23
The Kootenay Development Region has a diverse economic base; with employment both in the
service sector as well as the goods-producing sector. The services producing sector is the main
employment sector, accounting for 67% of total employment in 2016, while the goods-producing
sector makes up approximately 33% of total employment.22 The manufacturing sector, accounts
for 8.9% of total employment (see Figure 7) in the Kootenay Development Region, constituting

v

The Northeast region was omitted from Figure 1 due to suppressed data, and the Lower
Mainland - Southwest region was omitted from the graph to show the regional differences
between the other regions.
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the fifth highest employing sector after health and social assistance (12.5%), wholesale and retail
trade (11.4%), construction (10.5%), and forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas (11.0%).
Public administration

4.3%

Other services (except public administration)

5.3%

Accommodation and food services

7.1%

Information, culture and recreation

4.5%

Health care and social assistance

12.5%

Industry

Educational services

5.6%

Business, building and other support services

4.6%

Professional, scientific and technical services

4.6%

Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing

2.8%

Transportation and warehousing

4.2%

Wholesale and retail trade

11.4%

Manufacturing

8.9%

Construction

10.5%

Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas

11.0%
0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% 14.0%
Percentage

Figure 7: Percentage of employment by industry in the Kootenay Development Region, 201622, vi

Median Hourly Wage Rate
($)

In 2015, median hourly wages for the manufacturing sector in the Kootenay Development Region
were the third highest in the province at $28.85, after the Cariboo and the Northeast, and higher
than the provincial and national averages (see Figure 8). In comparison, the median hourly wage
for all employees in all sectors of the economy in the Kootenays was $23.90. Provincially, the
wages in the durable goods industries were much higher than in non-durable goods, with the
exception of paper. Paper placed second after primary metal paying the highest earnings, and
food products paying the lowest.4

35.00
30.00
25.00
20.00
15.00
2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Year
Canada

British Columbia

Kootenay

Figure 8: Median hourly wage rate, total employed, manufacturing sector, 2006 - 201523

vi

The Agriculture and Utilities industries were omitted due to suppressed data.
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Employment forecast
A total of 134,700 job openings are expected in the South Eastvii region by 2025.24 Three in ten
job openings are due to economic growth and the rest are to replace retired workers.
Employment demand in the region is forecast to increase each year by 1.1 % on average, the
same rate as the provincial average.8
Provincially, 98% of all job openings in the manufacturing industry will occur to replace workers
who will leave the labour force over the next ten years. 24 As shown in Figure 9, in BC the paper
manufacturing sector will see the lowest average annual growth rate of employment between
2016 and 2025 at a rate of -2.6%, while the machinery manufacturing will see the highest growth
at 1.2%. In the Kootenay Development Region, the fabricated metal product manufacturing
industry, food, beverage and tobacco industry, machinery manufacturing, and transportation
equipment manufacturing will all see the highest rates of growth at 1.8%. Similar to the
provincial profile, the paper manufacturing sector will see the lowest rate of growth at -1.1%.
2.5%
2.0%

1.8%

1.8%

1.8%

1.6%

1.2%

1.5%

0.9%

Percentage

1.0%

0.5%

0.0%

1.8%
1.0%
0.5%
0.1%

0.3%

0.0%

-0.5%
-0.5%

-1.0%
-1.1%

-1.5%

-1.3%

-2.0%

Other

Wood product

Transportation equipment

Primary metal

-2.6%

Paper manufacturing

Machinery Manufacturing

Fabricated metal product manufacturing
industry

-3.0%

Food, Beverage and Tobacco

-2.5%

Manufacturing Subsectors
BC

Kootenay

Figure 9: Average growth rate of employment, manufacturing subsectors, 2016 - 202514–21
As shown in Figure 10, the primary metal manufacturing subsector will see the highest number
of job openings between 2015 and 2025 with 734 positions. This accounts for 30% of all jobs in
vii

The South East region includes Thompson-Okanagan and Kootenay Census Economic Regions. Note that while this area
does not match the Columbia Basin-Boundary region it covers the majority of the study region except for Valemount
which is located in the Cariboo Census Economic Region.
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Job Openings

the primary metal sector in the province (2,423 provincially). The wood product sector (476),
other manufacturing (327), and paper manufacturing (253) are all sectors which will see higher
numbers of job openings in the region. In total, there are an anticipated 2,148 job openings
forecast for the manufacturing sector by 2025 in the Kootenay Development Region.
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

734
476
187
34

327

253
71

66

Manufacturing Subsectors
Kootenay
Figure 10: Industry job openings, Kootenay Development Region, 2015-202514–21
Occupational forecastviii
None of the manufacturing occupations are in the top 10 occupations forecast to expand the
fastest in the South East region.24
Given that the manufacturing industry is made up of a number of sub-industries (i.e., fabricated
metal product, food, beverage and tobacco, machinery, paper, primary metal, transportation
equipment, wood product, and other manufacturing), the number and range of occupations
associated with this industry makes it very difficult to look at the occupational forecast for the
manufacturing sector in its entirety. Many of the occupations identified as related to the
manufacturing industry or one of its sub-industries are also related to other non-manufacturing
industries, such as construction trades helpers and labourers, transport truck drivers, financial
auditors and accountants, and restaurant and food service managers. For a complete list of all
occupations associated with the manufacturing industry as included in the WorkBC Industry
Outlook reports, refer to Appendix B. Given these constraints, this section will look only at the
top 10 occupations identified based on largest number of job openings in the South East region 24,
and that are also considered occupations related to the manufacturing sector as per the WorkBC
Industry Outlook for the manufacturing sub-industries.14–21,ix They include:




ix

(0621) Retail and wholesale trade managers
(0631) Restaurant and food service managers
(1111) Financial auditors and accountants

A complete list of all occupations is available from: https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/labour-market-outlook
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







(1221) Administrative officers
(6421) Retail salespersons
(6731) Light duty cleaners
(6711) Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
(6733) Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
(7511) Transport truck drivers
(7611) Construction trades helpers and labourers

Labour demand-supply projection
Labour force supply less demandx (see Table 1) looks at the occupations related to the
manufacturing sector in the South East region xi and examines the supply of workers against the
demand for workers. Labour force demand is an estimate of the number of workers needed (i.e.,
employment) as well as the number of workers that are normally unemployed (e.g., due to
transitioning between jobs, responding to seasonal fluctuations, or lack of skills match). Labour
force supply represents the possible labour force, including supply from new entrants and from
migrants.
As shown in Table 1, retail salespersons, transport truck drivers, retail and wholesale trade
managers, food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations are the
occupations with the highest, sustained demand in the manufacturing sector until 2025 in the
South East region.

x

Labour Force Supply Less Demand: The difference between the Labour Force Supply and Labour Force Demand. If this
value is positive, then Labour Force Supply is greater than Labour Force Demand.
xi
Data is only available at the South East regional level.
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Labour Force Supply Less Demand – South East Region
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Total

0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers

13

15

-58

-109

-114

-124

-119

-93

-64

-62

-62

-777

0631 Restaurant and food service managers

30

3

-19

-35

-37

-40

-38

-30

-21

-20

-20

-227

1111 Financial auditors and accountants

-38

10

-12

-27

-29

-32

-31

-25

-17

-16

-16

-233

1221 Administrative officers

-27

5

-29

-55

-57

-66

-62

-50

-35

-33

-32

-441

6421 Retail salespersons

18

26

-90

-170

-178

-196

-188

-148

-102

-99

-98

-1225

helpers and related support occupations

67

7

-53

-96

-104

-113

-109

-86

-61

-59

-59

-666

6731 Light duty cleaners

35

3

-41

-70

-74

-81

-79

-62

-44

-42

-42

-497

7511 Transport truck drivers

-287

64

-10

-69

-82

-100

-95

-73

-46

-46

-44

-788

labourers
18
2
Table 1: Labour Force Supply Less Demand, South East region25

-30

-42

-41

-54

-44

-38

-26

-24

-21

-300

6711 Food counter attendants, kitchen

7611 Construction trades helpers and

Labour demand due to growth & attrition
Table 2 presents the estimated total number of job openings for the Kootenay Development
Region between 2017 and 2025 due to expansion and replacement. Note that the Kootenay
Development Region represents a slightly smaller geographic area than the Columbia BasinBoundary region in so far as it excludes Valemount, Revelstoke, and Golden. Provincially, by 2025
it is expected that 69% of job openings will be due to retirements and deaths. 8
In the Kootenay Development Region, the top occupations expected to generate the largest
number of new openings (full year job openings) between the years 2017 – 2025 include: retail
and wholesale trade managers (1,094), retail salespersons (844), and transport truck drivers
(728).

Kootenay Development Region

Total job openings
between 2017 and
2025

0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers

1094

0631 Restaurant and food service managers

173

1111 Financial auditors and accountants

132

1221 Administrative officers

534

6421 Retail salespersons

844

6711 Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related
support occupations

278

6731 Light duty cleaners

492

6733 Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents

453

7511 Transport truck drivers

728

7611 Construction trades helpers and labourers
159
Table 2: Summary of potential job openings due to growth & attrition (in full-year jobs) by
industry & occupation in manufacturing-related industries (2017-2025), Kootenay Development
Region26

Conclusion
The purpose of this profile is to identify current manufacturing sector market trends and issues,
including current and projected labour market needs to help workforce development partners
within the Columbia Basin-Boundary region understand and respond to changing labour market
demands.
In total, there are an anticipated 2,148 job openings forecast for the manufacturing sector by
2025 in the Kootenay Development Region. The primary metal manufacturing subsector will see
the highest number of job openings between 2015 and 2025 with 734 positions, and that
accounts for 30% of all jobs in the province within that subsector. At a subsector level, job
openings will be highest in the primary metal (734), wood products manufacturing (476), other
(327), paper (253), food, beverage and tobacco (187), transportation equipment (71), machinery
(66), and fabricated metal product (34). Job openings for specific occupations relating to the
manufacturing sector are highest for transport truck drivers (728), retail and wholesale trade
managers (1,094), and retail salesperson (844). Retail salespersons (-1225), transport truck
drivers (-788), retail and wholesale trade managers (-777), food counter attendants, kitchen

L a b our Ma rket P rofile: Ma nu fa c tu r in g

16

helpers and related support occupations (-666) are the occupations with the highest, sustained
demand in the manufacturing sector until 2025 in the South East region.
Despite being hit hard by the 2008-2009 recession, the manufacturing sector has made a
relatively strong recovery in output and employment.4 External factors such as the economic
recovery of the United States, increasing exports to high-growth destinations like China, and
efforts to diversify market access can have benefits to BC’s manufacturing sector.

L a b our Ma rket P rofile: Ma nu fa c tu r in g

17

Appendix A: References & Resources
1.

WorkBC. Manufacturing. (2017). Available at: https://www.workbc.ca/Labour-MarketIndustry/Industry-Information/Industry-Outlooks/Manufacturing.aspx. (Accessed: 4th
June 2017)

2.

BC Stats. Establishment Location Counts. Data contained in this table are adapted from
Statistics Canada’s Business Register. This does not constitute an endorsement by
Statistics Canada of this product. (2017).

3.

Statistics Canada. Manufacturing: The Year in Review, 2016. (2017). Available at:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170306/dq170306a-eng.htm. (Accessed: 30th
May 2017)

4.

Najmus Saqib and Dan Schrier. A Profile of British Columbias Manufacturing Sector.
(2015).

5.

Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute. Trends Analysis: Demographics. (2016).

6.

Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute. Our Region. (2017). Available at:
http://www.cbrdi.ca/about-us/our-region/. (Accessed: 5th September 2017)

7.

Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute. Our Region. (2017). Available at:
http://www.cbrdi.ca/about-us/our-region/. (Accessed: 17th May 2017)

8.

WorkBC. 2025 Labour Market Outlook. (2016).

9.

WorkBC. Regional Profile: Kootenay. (2017). Available at:
https://www.workbc.ca/Labour-Market-Information/Regional-Profiles/3. (Accessed: 3rd
June 2017)

10.

Wikipedia. Advanced Manufacturing. Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_manufacturing. (Accessed: 3rd June 2017)

11.

Government of Canada. Canada’s Manufacturing Sector. Available at:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/mfg-fab.nsf/eng/home. (Accessed: 18th July 2017)

12.

Province of British Columbia. Manufacturing. Available at:
https://www.workbc.ca/Labour-Market-Industry/Industry-Information/IndustryOutlooks/Manufacturing.aspx. (Accessed: 20th May 2017)

13.

BC Stats. British Columbia Employment by Detailed Industry, Annual Averages. Statistics
Canada. Labour Force Survey (2017).

14.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Metal Product Fabricated. (2016).

15.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Wood Products. (2016).

16.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Food and Beverage and Tobacco Product. (2016).

17.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Machinery. (2016).

18.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Paper. (2016).

19.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Primary Metal. (2016).

20.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Transportation Equipment. (2016).

21.

WorkBC. Industry Outlook Profile: Other. (2016).

L a b our Ma rket P rofile: Ma nu fa c tu r in g

18

22.

Statistics Canada. Table 282-0125 - Labour Force Survey Estimates (LFS), employment by
economic region based on 2011 Census boundaries and NAICS, annual (persons).

23.

Statistics Canada. Labour Force Survey, Labour force characteristics by industry for
Canada, British Columbia and its’ economic regions for age 15 years and over, custom
tabulation G1012_10.ivt.

24.

WorkBC. 2025 Labour Market Outlook. (2016).

25.

Ministry of Jobs Tourism and Skills Training - Labour Market Information. 2015-2025
Labour Market Outlook Occupation Supply and Demand for BC and Region. (2015).

26.

Ministry of Jobs Tourism and Skills Training - Labour Market Information. 2015 - 2025
Labour Market Outlook Occupations Job Openings for BC and Region. (2016).

27.

Merriam-Webster. Ingot. Merriam-Webster.com (2017). Available at:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingot. (Accessed: 3rd October 2017)

28.

WorkBC. Regional Profiles. (2017). Available at: https://www.workbc.ca/Labour-MarketIndustry/Regional-Profiles.aspx. (Accessed: 15th May 2017)

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Appendix B - BC Manufacturing Sector NAICS & NOC Codes
BC Manufacturing Sector NAICS Codes
NAICS

Description

311

Food manufacturing

312

Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing

313

Textile mills

314

Textile product mills

315

Clothing manufacturing

316

Leather and allied product manufacturing

321

Wood product manufacturing

322

Paper manufacturing

323

Printing and related support activities

324

Petroleum and coal product manufacturing

325

Chemical manufacturing

326

Plastics and rubber products manufacturing

327

Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing

331

Primary metal manufacturing

332

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

333

Machinery manufacturing

334

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

335

Electrical equipment, appliance and component manufacturing

336

Transportation equipment manufacturing

337

Furniture and related product manufacturing

339

Miscellaneous manufacturing

Manufacturing Sector National Occupation Classification (NOC) Codes
Referenced in Work BC Industry Outlook Profiles for fabricated metal product, food, beverage
and tobacco, machinery, paper, primary metal, transportation equipment, wood product, and
other.14–21
Code
0016
0111
0113
0211
0213
0601
0621
0631
0714
0811

NOC Occupation
Senior managers - construction, transportation, production and utilities
Financial managers
Purchasing managers
Engineering managers
Computer and information systems managers
Corporate sales managers
Retail and wholesale trade managers
Restaurant and food service managers
Facility operation and maintenance managers
Managers in natural resources production and fishing
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Code
0911
1111
1121
1122
1123
1215
1221
1225
1431
1521
2121
2122
2131
2132
2133
2141
2142
2146
2171
2173
2174
2243
4163
5244
6221
6332
6342
6411
6421
6711
6731
6732
6733
7231
7233
7235
7237
7242
7272
7311
7315
7384
7452
7511
7611
7612
8614
9211
9213

NOC Occupation
Manufacturing managers
Financial auditors and accountants
Human resources professionals
Professional occupations in business management consulting
Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling co-ordination occupations
Administrative officers
Purchasing agents and officers
Accounting and related clerks
Shippers and receivers
Biologists and related scientists
Forestry professionals
Civil engineers
Mechanical engineers
Electrical and electronics engineers
Industrial and manufacturing engineers
Metallurgical and materials engineers
Aerospace engineers
Information systems analysts and consultants
Software engineers and designers
Computer programmers and interactive media developers
Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
Artisans and craftspersons
Technical sales specialists - wholesale trade
Bakers
Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners
Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical)
Retail salespersons
Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
Light duty cleaners
Specialized cleaners
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
Sheet metal workers
Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
Welders and related machine operators
Industrial electricians
Cabinetmakers
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
Other trades and related occupations, n.e.c.
Material handlers
Transport truck drivers
Construction trades helpers and labourers
Other trades helpers and labourers
Mine labourers
Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
Supervisors, food, beverage and associated products processing

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Code
9215
9227
9231
9235
9241
9243
9411
9412
9416
9418
9421
9422
9431
9432
9433
9434
9435
9436
9437
9442
9446
9461
9462
9463
9521
9522
9523
9526
9531
9532
9533
9536
9537
9611
9612
9614
9615
9617
9618
9619

NOC Occupation
Supervisors, forest products processing
Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly
Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators
Power engineers and power systems operators
Water and waste treatment plant operators
Machine operators, mineral and metal processing
Foundry workers
Metalworking and forging machine operators
Other metal products machine operators
Chemical plant machine operators
Plastics processing machine operators
Sawmill machine operators
Pulp mill machine operators
Papermaking and finishing machine operators
Other wood processing machine operators
Paper converting machine operators
Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders
Woodworking machine operators
Weavers, knitters and other fabric making occupations
Industrial sewing machine operators
Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated
products processing
Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
Fish and seafood plant workers
Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
Motor vehicle assemblers, inspectors and testers
Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
Boat assemblers and inspectors
Furniture and fixture assemblers and inspectors
Other wood products assemblers and inspectors
Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
Labourers in mineral and metal processing
Labourers in metal fabrication
Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing
Labourers in rubber and plastic products manufacturing
Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing
Labourers in fish and seafood processing
Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities

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