Powerpoint exploring youth employment trends in Columbia Basin.

Summary:

1. B.C.’s non-metro population is growing ‘slowly’ (where “metro” is a centre with 100,000+ population plus all neighbouring communities where 50+% commute to metro)

2. B.C. has fewer potential labour market entrants than potential labour market retirees.

3. Population in the Columbia Basin / Kootenay Region has been essentially flat over the last 2 decades (see hidden slides).

4. Positive natural balance (births > deaths) in the East Kootenay R.D. but negative natural balance in the Kootenay Boundary R.D. (see hidden slides)

5. In the first half of the 2000s, more migrants moved out than moved into the Kootenays (i.e. negative internal migration). In the last 10 years, the pattern has varied with some years of positive net migration into the Kootenays. (see hidden slides)

6. Annual immigrant arrivals have been less than 0.25% of the resident population (compared to a Canadian average of about 0.7% per year) (see hidden slides)

7. Net out-migration of youth 15-19 yr.; a smaller rate of net OUT-migration of young adults 20-24 yr. and a small rate of net IN-migration of young adults 25-29 yr. (see hidden slides for each R.D.)

8. The share of B.C. non-metro youth in school has been (about) constant for nearly 20 years.

9. Non-metro non-student young adults (25-29 yr.) are as likely to be employed as the non-metro core-age workforce (25-54 yr.).

10. Non-metro students and non-students are (about) equally likely to be employed as metro:

• During the school year; and
• During the summer months

11. By age 25-29, young adults in non-metro B.C. hold (about) the same mix of jobs by industry and by occupation as are held by all workers (15+ years of age) (annual data are in hidden slides).

12. Most job vacancies in the Kootenay Region are in traditionally-low-wage jobs (detailed data are in hidden slides).