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About Mainland/Southwest
Mainland/Southwest includes four regional districts:
The peopleThe greater Vancouver area (which ranges from White Rock to Lion’s Bay to Maple Ridge) is home to most (2.3 million) of the region’s 2.6 million residents. In 2008, there were 276,300 people living in Fraser Valley, which includes the cities of Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission. Squamish-Lillooet, where Whistler is located, has a population of 37,800, while the population of Sunshine Coast (including Sechelt and Gibsons) is 29,200. Mainland/Southwest is the province’s fastest-growing region, increasing its share of the total population by more than three percentage points since 1995.
The region has the highest proportion of working aged residents in the province
Seventy-one percent of the region’s residents are between the ages of 15 and 64, making Mainland/Southwest the region with the highest proportion of working aged residents in the province. Children under the age of 15 make up nearly 16% of the population in Mainland/Southwest, which is very similar to the average for all regions of the province. Just 13% of its residents are 65 and over. Mainland/Southwest is home to more children than seniors, but the size of the gap is shrinking
Where are the people located?Mainland/Southwest is highly urbanized, although some areas have a more rural character. Just 2% of its population lives outside municipal boundaries. However, more than half (52%) of the 29,200 people in Sunshine Coast reside in unincorporated areas. Squamish-Lillooet (18%) and Fraser Valley (6%) have relatively small rural populations. Even in the Greater Vancouver regional district, which stretches north to Lion’s Bay, there are a small number of people (21,300, or 1% of the regional district’s population) living in unincorporated areas. Ninety-eight percent of the region’s population lives in an urban area
Not surprisingly, most (88%) of the jobs in the region are found in the Greater Vancouver area. The Fraser Valley is home to 11% of the population, slightly more than its share of total employment. Housing costs in Vancouver are higher than in the outlying areas, and a growing number of people are commuting from the Fraser Valley to their jobs in Vancouver. This may be one reason why Greater Vancouver’s share of total employment in the region is slightly higher than its population share. Most of the region’s population—and most of the jobs—are located in the Greater Vancouver area
The workforceMainland/Southwest is home to 61% of the province’s workforce. There were 1.4 million people working in the region in 2008. Forty-six percent of them were women. Full-time employment is more common in Mainland/Southwest than in other parts of the province
Eighty-one percent of the region’s workers were employed full time. Although the incidence of full-time employment fluctuates over time, full-time employment is more common in this region than in the province as a whole. Just under 18% of the region’s workforce was self-employed in 2008, slightly less than the 19% share for the province as a whole. Mainland/Southwest’s unemployment rate averaged 6.6% during the period from 1995 to 2008, which was well below the provincial average of 7.2% during this period. The economyEight out of 10 jobs in Mainland/ Southwest are in the service sector
Most of the jobs in the region are in the service sector. Just 20% of the workforce is employed in goods-producing industries. Within the goods sector, construction (9%) and manufacturing (9%) account for the biggest shares of total employment, but some of the region’s residents are also employed in industries such as agriculture, forestry, fishing & mining. Miscellaneous manufacturing activities, food and beverage processing, metal fabricating and wood processing are the dominant employers in the manufacturing sector. Although meat and seafood processing and bakeries are among the main activities in the region’s food processing industry, a wide range of food processing activities occurs in the region. The Fraser Valley is known for its agricultural production and related food processing activities. There are also many farming operations within the Greater Vancouver regional district. Berry farms, greenhouses, floriculture & nursery operations, vegetable farms and dairy and poultry farming operations are all located in Mainland/Southwest, as are some of the province’s aquaculture establishments. Construction and manufacturing are the biggest employers in the goods sector
Employment in forestry, fishing & mining includes people employed in head offices as well as those working in the woods, at sawmills, paper mills and mine sites, or on fishing vessels. About half the forestry workers in this region are located in Greater Vancouver, likely at head offices. In fishing and mining, oil & gas extraction, an even bigger share of the regional workforce is located in the Greater Vancouver regional district. Service industry establishments have a strong presence in the region
In the service sector, wholesale & retail trade (15%), health & social assistance (9%), and professional, scientific & technical services (9%) are key employers. How does the region’s economic structure compare to BC’s?Vancouver is the financial and business capital of the province, and is the location of head offices for many businesses that operate in the province. This is reflected in the industrial structure of Mainland/Southwest, which accounts for a higher-than-average share of total employment in a number of service industries, as well as utilities and manufacturing. The main offices of most banks and other financial institutions operating in BC (as well as many of their smaller branch operations) are located in the Vancouver area. Offices of engineering, architectural and other professional service firms, performing arts organizations, and many other types of service establishments are usually located in large cities, where they are closer to most of their clientele. Many establishments in computer and related services, including software design, are also located in this region. Information, culture & recreation, which includes broadcasting, publishing, the film industry, performing arts, and sports organizations also has many establishments in this region. Three out of four jobs in finance, insurance & real estate are in Mainland/Southwest
A number of post-secondary institutions are located in the region. Public institutions include the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, University of the Fraser Valley, Capilano University, the BC Institute of Technology, Emily Carr University of Art & Design, Vancouver Community College, Douglas College, Langara College, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and the Justice Institute of British Columbia. As well, the region is home to some private post-secondary institutions, such as Trinity Western University. This concentration of post-secondary institutions in the region is one reason why its share of employment in education is comparatively high. Vancouver is the location of the country’s second-busiest airport, as well as the largest and busiest deep-sea port in the country, and that is one reason for the relatively high concentration of transportation and warehousing jobs in Mainland/Southwest. What’s been happening since 1995?The population of Mainland/Southwest expanded 23% between 1995 and 2008, well above the 16% increase in BC’s total population during this period. It is the province’s fastest-growing region and the only one where population growth has outpaced the provincial average. Mainland/Southwest is also the only region where the number of children has increased (+3%) since 1995. The percentage of Mainland/Southwest’s population that was under the age of 15 was below the provincial average in 1995, but by 2008, it was marginally higher than the average for all of BC. The region has also seen the strongest increase (+26%) in the number of working-aged residents in the province since 1995. Its senior population has grown 34% during this period. Although a trend towards increased urbanization has played a role in Mainland/Southwest’s strong population growth in recent years, immigration has also been a factor. New Canadians often migrate to larger population centres. Asia has been the biggest source of international immigration to BC in recent years. In the Lower Mainland area, new immigrants from this region can find familiar foods and other products, and amenities such as community centres and places of worship where they can meet with others who have similar backgrounds and traditions. This may help ease the transition of newcomers into Canadian society. Mainland/Southwest is BC’s fastest-growing region
Employment growth has exceeded the provincial averageEmployment in the region has increased about 35% since 1995. This compares to a 30% increase in the total number of people working in the province during this period. Stronger-than-average population growth, together with relatively robust economic conditions during this period, have both contributed to job gains in this region. Mainland/Southwest has seen steady growth in the service sector, but more volatile conditions in goods industries
Job growth in the region has largely been driven by steady gains in the service sector. The goods sector has had a more rocky ride, but regional employment in goods industries has been climbing since the beginning of the decade. The construction industry, which has benefitted from a building boom in the region, increased the size of its workforce 71% between 1995 and 2008. Agriculture (+56%) and utilities (+41%) are also among the industries in the region that have seen faster-than average growth. However, the number of jobs in manufacturing has increased just 10%, while there are 46% fewer people working in the forestry, fishing and mining. The construction boom has boosted employment in Mainland/Southwest’s goods sector
The region’s service sector industries are all growingThe fastest-growing industry in the region is one of the smallest: business, building & other support services, which has expanded its workforce 82% since 1995. However, this industry employs a relatively small number of workers (66,600 in 2008). Nearly twice as many people (123,400) have jobs in professional, scientific & technical services, where employment has grown almost as much (+70%) since 1995. The increase in jobs in professional, scientific & technical services is partly related to the construction boom, since engineering and architectural firms are often involved in planning and building big projects such as condos, office towers, and roads, highways and other infrastructure. The number of people working in education (+52%) has also expanded. There are more children and young adults living in the region, and this has likely contributed to the job growth in this industry. A number of service sector industries have experienced very strong growth since 1995
What’s the outlook to 2013?Mainland/Southwest is expected to continue to experience stronger-than-average population and employment growth in the next few years. Its share of the province’s population is forecast to rise to 61%, while a similar percentage of the province’s workforce is expected to be employed in the region. However, growth in service sector employment is expected to outpace job gains in the region’s goods-producing industries. In fact, the region’s share of total goods-sector employment is forecast to drop slightly by 2013. Population and employment growth in Mainland/Southwest are expected to outpace increases in the rest of the province
Table 3
Data Source: Statistics Canada & BC Stats
Table 4
Data Source: Statistics Canada
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Six out of 10 British Columbians live in Mainland/Southwest, which is located in the southwest corner of the mainland. The region encompasses the densely populated Greater Vancouver area as well as the Fraser Valley and the Sunshine Coast, and stretches north to include Whistler, Pemberton and Lillooet. The climate is quite varied, with a temperate but wet coastal area to alpine weather in the coastal mountains, and the relatively hot and arid area around Lillooet.
