BC can expect to see almost a million job openings in the next seven years as the province’s baby boomers retire, according to a labour outlook report.
The provincial government recently released its 2022 Labour Market Outlook, a seven-year forecast of labour supply and demand prepared by auditing firm KPMG.
A large percentage of those million job openings, about 65 per cent, will come from retirement and the rest from economic growth, particularly in skilled trades, the KPMG report said.
The report also indicated that in about four years demand for workers will outstrip supply, which could provide direction for current recent graduates and those looking to switch careers.
“There is a lot of information now available to help students access training that employers want, get information on high-demand occupations and see what career is their best fit,” said Andrew Wilkinson, minister of advanced education, in a media release.
Close to 80 per cent of those openings will require some form of post-secondary education.
“Many people will start thinking about upgrading their skills or even a new career,” Wilkinson added.
Currently about 70 per cent of the province’s labour force has some post-secondary education.
On Vancouver Island/Sunshine Coast the report forecasts 147,200 job openings over the period, with 23 per cent coming from increased demand and 77 per cent from replacing retiring workers.
Outlook is best for careers in health care fields within this area, including optometrists, chiropractors, nurses, therapy and assessment professionals and health care managers, the report said.
Though the Lower Mainland would see the majority of job growth over the next seven years, about 60 per cent, many of those actual jobs—particularly those in the oil and natural gas sector—will be located in the province’s north and north east, the report indicated. It looked at BC’s potential economic growth both with and without liquefied natural gas development, a sector which could provide 100,000 jobs, the report noted.
The labour market outlook lists 60 jobs that will become increasingly in-demand over the period. The report can be found online.
