Outside of the Yukon, British Columbia had the highest job vacancy rate in the country for a province or territory during the first quarter of the year, Statistics Canada says.
Numbers released August 11 show B.C. had a rate of 2.9%, ahead of Nunavut (2.7%) which has a population of 37,315 people, but was just behind the 3% posted by the Yukon, whose population is pegged at 37,642.
In the first quarter of 2016, the Lower Mainland had the highest job vacancy rate of any economic region, beating out Toronto (2.5%) and Montreal (1.9%). In these three economic regions, the number of job vacancies was highest in sales and service occupations.
Trades and transport workers and equipment operators are in high demand throughout the Lower Mainland.
Montreal has the highest offered wage at $23.75, followed by Toronto ($21.85) and Vancouver’s Lower Mainland ($19.45).
Among the 140 occupational groups, food counter attendants and kitchen helpers have the largest number of vacancies at 18,000 openings.
From the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of this year, the job vacancy rate declined in nine provinces and two territories, with the largest decreases in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Of the 10 economic regions with the highest job vacancy rates in Canada, nine were in the western provinces or territories and one was in Ontario. Six of the 10 economic regions with the lowest job vacancy rates were in Quebec.
