British Columbia Is the Jobs Destination of the Nation

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 2, 2016) - Jobs are a plenty in British Columbia, according to the 2016 Express Employment Professionals Top 50 Labour Day Hot Job Markets in Canada Survey released today.

It is a British Columbia hot jobs sweep. Five of the top markets nationally are in British Columbia, making it the hottest in terms of available jobs provincially. North Vancouver tops the job market in terms of available jobs relative to population. Vancouver is the hottest major city with more than 200,000 people. Surrey is No. 2.

"Beautiful British Columbia is equally plentiful British Columbia when it comes to jobs in 2016," said Bob Funk, CEO of Express Employment Professionals. "The Hot Jobs Market Survey shows British Columbia stands out as the jobs destination of the nation."

"This is the third annual Labour Day survey by Express and it's striking how British Columbia has steadily risen in the rankings," Funk said. "Equally clear is the continued and steady decline of Alberta, which dominated the hot job rankings just three years ago."

Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray), once a top job market in the country, is now ranked No. 19 in the nation.

"The 2016 Express hot job survey really is a tale of two Canadas," Funk said. "British Columbia leads the nation in employment while the rest of the country either struggles or treads water."

Hottest job markets in terms of major Canadian cities with a population greater than 200,000:

1. Vancouver, British Columbia
2. Surrey, British Columbia
3. Burnaby, British Columbia
4. Mississauga, Ontario
5. Edmonton, Alberta

The latest July 2016 Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey confirms British Columbia's impressive results. According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate in British Columbia continues to decline, and at 5.6 per cent, is the lowest in the country. This is compared with a rising national average of 6.9 per cent. Alberta's unemployment rate is now 8.6 per cent.

Ontario equally continues to cause some concern. Ontario, Mississauga was previously in the top markets and is now ranked at No. 32 in the nation.

The other trend worthy of note is the continued strength of smaller job markets in the province of Quebec. Five of the top 10 jobs markets are in Quebec, including Drummondville at No. 2, Brossard at No. 3, and last year's hottest job market Saint-Hyacinthe at No. 4.

Survey methodology:

In order to refine the real job market picture across Canada, for the third year in a row, Express Employment Professionals researched the rate of job availability by cross-referencing Statistics Canada population data with publicly advertised job postings on the federal Job Bank. Using the federal Job Bank (as opposed to data from provincial employment agencies or other providers) ensures a consistent, 'apples-to-apples' comparison of job availability from British Columbia to Newfoundland.

Download survey: 2016 Top 50 Labour Day Hot Job Markets in Canada

About Robert A. Funk

Robert A. "Bob" Funk is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Under his leadership, Express has put more than 6 million people to work worldwide. Funk served as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and was also the Chairman of the Conference of Chairmen of the Federal Reserve.

About Express Employment Professionals and Express in Canada

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.02 billion in sales and employed a record 500,002 people in 2015. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. Express launched in Canada in July 1996, with a franchise in London, Ontario, and since then, has expanded and grown across Canada significantly. There are currently 37 Express franchises in Canada-six in British Columbia, five in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan, 23 in Ontario and one in Nova Scotia.