Business, Building & Other Support Services

Many businesses don't do all of the day-to-day work that is required to keep their organization operating smoothly. Instead, they hire companies that provide specialized services. Many of the organizations that provide these types of services are in the business, building & other support services industry. They provide services that are used by both business and personal clients.

What's included in business, building & other support services?

The day-to-day operation and management of businesses and buildings involves a number of different types of services provided by establishments in this industry.

Building services, the largest employer in this industry, includes janitorial, window cleaning, landscaping, carpet & chimney cleaning, and other services related to maintaining buildings in good order. Some of these services may be used by private households as well as businesses.

Six out of 10 jobs in this industry are related to building management or security

The security industry includes establishments that provide security (including remote monitoring using electronic security systems), armored car, locksmithing, and investigation services to business clients as well as households.

Business services support the day-to-day operations of other businesses, and include office administration, facilities support, document preparation, call centres, copy shops & other business service centres, collection agencies, and credit bureaus.

Travelling services are primarily travel agencies, tour operators, and other establishments providing travel arrangement and reservation services to individuals as well as other businesses.

Employment services include employment placement agencies and temporary help services.

Establishments that manage companies and enterprises, hold a controlling interest in the securities or financial assets, or influence the management of these organizations are also included in this industry. This includes holding companies and head offices.

Convention & trade show organizers, and other support services such as auctioneering and reading meters are also included in this industry.

Waste management & remediation services includes waste collection, treatment and disposable, remediation and cleanup of building, mine sites, soil or ground water, and recycling services.

What's happened in business, building & other support services since 1990?

This industry has seen substantial job growth since 1990, with its share of total employment rising from just over 2% at the beginning of the period to more than 4% in 2008. This is quite a remarkable increase over such a short period.

The number of jobs in this industry has increased rapidly since 1990, and its share of total employment has nearly doubled

All of the industries within this group have seen at least a doubling of employment during the period between 1990 and 2008. The most significant increase was in business services, where employment has grown to more than five times the 1990 level. Employment in waste management and remediation and management companies has more than tripled, and there were nearly three times as many people working in security services in 2008 as in 1990.

GDP growth has also outpaced the economy as a whole. The industry's share of total GDP has risen to more than 2%, from just under that level, during this period.

What are the most common occupations?

The types of services offered by establishments in this industry are often labour-intensive, and many are specific to service industries. Forty-four percent of the people who work in this industry are in sales and service occupations. Janitors (11% of total employment) and cleaners (10%) are the biggest group within this occupational category, but it also includes a large number of people who work as security guards (9%), or as travel counsellors, tour guides, and ticket agents.

Nineteen percent of workers in this industry have jobs in business, finance & administration occupations. These include clerical workers, administrative officers, and bookkeepers.

Occupations that are unique to primary industries are mainly landscaping contractors and labourers. They comprise 17% of the workforce in this industry.

Trades, transportation & equipment operators, who hold 8% of the jobs, include workers in occupations such as material handlers, public works maintenance equipment operators, and truck & heavy equipment operators. Six percent of the workers are in managerial occupations.

Two out of three workers are employed in sales & service or business, finance & administrative occupations

How many people work in business, building & other support services, and how much do they earn?

This industry employed 101,200 people in 2008, making it (together with the miscellaneous services industry, which also employed 101,200 people) the smallest employer within the service sector. However, manufacturing and construction were the only industries in the goods sector that had more employees.

Many of the jobs in this industry are in building services, which employed 43,500 British Columbians in 2008. Another 14,000 worked in the security service industry, and 12,400 were employed in business services. Travelling services (9,600), employment services (8,000), management services (7,500), and waste management & remediation (6,100) were smaller employers.

Workers in this industry earned an average hourly wage of $17.02 in 2008, which was $4.44 less than the average for all industries. Wages were lowest in the business ($14.50), security ($14.80) and building ($14.89) services industries. Workers in the management ($18.34), employment ($20.83) and travelling ($21.76) services industries earned higher wages, as did those employed in waste management & remediation ($22.32). The average work week in this industry was 35 hours long.

Average wages are lower than in most other industries

What are the characteristics of the workforce?

Three out of four (77%) workers in this industry are employed full time, only slightly less than the average (80%) for all workers in the province.

Employment in the industry is very seasonal, typically peaking during the summer months

Seasonal variations in employment are quite pronounced in this industry. Employment usually peaks in the summer, and is at its lowest level during the winter months. About 15% of the people working in this industry were hired on a temporary basis in 2008.

Union coverage is not common in this industry. Eighteen percent are covered by collective agreements, well below the 31% average for workers in all industries.

Women make up 45% of the workforce in this industry, just a little less than their share (47%) of total employment in the province.

Twenty-nine percent of the workers in this industry are self-employed. Almost all of them work in the building service industry, where nearly half (48%) of the workers were self-employed in 2008.

Fifty-one percent of the people who work in this industry have jobs in establishments with fewer than 20 workers, considerably more than the 39% average for all industries in the province. Only 5% work in establishments with more than 500 employees.

People who work in this industry are most likely to be employed in small establishments, with fewer than 20 workers

Where are the jobs located?

Sixty-six percent of the jobs in this industry are located in Mainland/Southwest. This reflects the concentration of head offices in the Vancouver area (head offices are included in management of companies and enterprises), as well as the fact that many of the businesses that use building, security and other services are located in the Lower Mainland. In other regions of the province, except the north (where less than one percent of the workers are employed in business, building & other support services), the industry's share of employment is very similar to the region's share of the total population.

Two-thirds of the jobs are in Mainland/Southwest

What's the outlook to 2017?

Employment and GDP in the industry are not expected to grow as fast in the future. The industry's share of both employment and GDP is expected to inch down as the industry falls behind the average growth for all industries in the economy.

Job growth in the industry is expected to be a little slower than in the rest of the economy