BC’s latest labour market report for the province places the transportation and warehousing industry at number six out of the top 10 industries that will account for the most job openings over the next 10 years.
According to the British Columbia Labour Market Outlook: 2021 Edition, the transportation and warehousing sector could see 62,000 job openings in total by 2031 (37,400 from replacement and 24,600 from expansion) with “transportation truck drivers” and “automotive service technicians, trucks and bus mechanics and mechanical repairs” positions ranking in the top 10 positions in demand for all 7 BC regions. Leading the job projections is the healthcare and social assistance sector at 142,900 job openings, reflecting the type of jobs in demand as BC’s baby boomers move into “life after work.”
Of significance is that BC is forecasted to see 1,004,000 job openings over the next decade (2021-2031). 8% of these openings (83,000 positions) are listed as “additional supply requirements,” which are positions that remain that need to be filled after accounting for immigration, migrants from other provinces, and young people starting work. This is very concerning to BCTA as this indicates that we are entering a period of a very tight labour market in which there are more positions available then people.
Unfortunately the findings of this Labour Market Outlook report and BC’s transportation sector being top of the list of job openings is not a surprise, as our sector is already experiencing a significant labour shortage. From Q4-2020 to Q3-2021, driver vacancies in BC have increased 39%. This is an increase of 3,065 vacant positions to 4,280 vacant positions. At present, BC’s truck transportation sector vacancy rate is 12.1%, which is nearly twice that of the provincial average (6.7%).
For members to compete to recruit and retain staff in such a tight labour market environment, it is critical for you to ensure your organization’s compensation program is competitive. BCTA is currently in field with this year’s compensation survey, and only those that complete the survey will have access to the data (for free).
Complete the BCTA 2022 Compensation Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DL3TBVN
The survey will be open until Friday, March 4, 2022. Company information will remain confidential, and once aggregated, BCTA will delete all identifying details from the survey site.
Representatives from the Provincial Workforce Development and Skills Training Division that led the British Columbia Labour Market Outlook: 2021 Edition will be presenting the report’s findings to BCTA’s Human Resources Committee on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 10:30 am. If you would like to join our Human Resources Committee and attend this session, please email Cory Paterson, BCTA Vice President, at CoryP@BCtrucking.com
