CPABC: Vancouver Island and Coast gains workers in 2025, but challenges still persist

DUNCAN, British Columbia, Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to BC Check-Up: Work, an annual report by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) on labour market trends across the province, 232,000 people were employed in Vancouver Island and Coast (excluding Greater Victoria), as the region added 11,700 workers (+5.3 per cent) between November 2024 and November 2025.

“Things held relatively steady in 2025 despite the economic risks that arose during the year," said Woody Hayes, FCPA, FCA. “Generally speaking, labour market trends in Nanaimo and the rest of the region moved in the same direction, but some differences remained.”

Year-over-year employment growth in Vancouver Island and Coast outpaced working-age population growth of 0.9 per cent, resulting in a 2.3 percentage point increase in the region’s employment rate, to 54.3 per cent in November 2025. The participation rate also increased 2.3 percentage points to 57.2 per cent.

This increase in employment and labour force participation coincided with a stabilization of Vancouver Island and Coast’s unemployment rate. After rising from 3.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent between November 2023 and November 2024, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.1 per cent.

Aggregate changes during the year were spread across the region as employment gains were split between Nanaimo (+9.7 per cent), the largest metropolitan area, and other communities (+3.7 per cent) located in Vancouver Island and Coast (excluding greater Victoria). The unemployment rates in the respective area’s were both similar to November 2024 rates, at 6.8 per cent in Nanaimo and 4.4 per cent elsewhere.

“When you take a look at employment by industry, you start to add some colour to the overall trend,” noted Hayes. “The services sector accounted for all employment gains during the year.”

Vancouver Island and Coast’s services sector added 11,600 workers (+6.5 per cent) between November 2024 and November 2025. Seven of 11 industries in the sector grew by more than 10.0 per cent, with business, building and other support services (+49.2 per cent; +3,000 workers) and financial, insurance and real estate services (+34.0 per cent; +3,300 workers) growing the fastest. Goods sector employment on the other hand was little changed year-over-year, employing 41,100 residents in November 2025.

“It is a bit of the case that overall positive results are hiding some localized pain in smaller communities, particularly those dependent on forestry and related sectors,” concluded Hayes. “The recent closure of the mill in Crofton caps off a tough couple years for an industry that has experienced other closures and curtailments. I think people are probably less optimistic than the headline numbers generally show.”

To learn more, visit www.bccpa.ca

About CPA British Columbia

The Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) is the training, governing, and regulatory body for over 40,000 CPA members and 6,000 CPA candidates and students. CPABC carries out its primary mission to protect the public by enforcing the highest professional and ethical standards and contributing to the advancement of public policy.

CONTACT: CPABC Media Contact:
Jack Blackwell, Economist
604.259.1143
news@bccpa.ca