Why It's Important The employment rate is an effective measure of the rate of labour utilization. Indeed, high labour utilization traditionally accompanies strong economic activity. Note: The employment rate for Development Regions differs from that reported elsewhere because a different population group is used.

Regional Indicator One is the percent of the population (ages 15 and over) that is employed. The higher the employment rate, the better the rank.

British Columbia's employment rate fell by 0.1 percent in 2008. The rate last fell in 2001 and exhibited strong growth in the intervening years.

The employment rate increased in Victoria and Regional BC, fell slightly in Abbotsford and fell by half a percentage point in Vancouver.

In 2008, 73.5 percent of the people aged 15-64 in Vancouver were employed. Rates in the other regions of the province fell between this and Victoria’s 78.1 percent.

The Northeast had the highest employment rate among the development regions in 2008 and for the 1999 through 2008 average. Its average employment rate was well above second-ranked North Coast & Nechako.

Employment rate decreases in 2008 were limited to the Lower Mainland-Southwest, Kootenay and Cariboo Development Regions.

All development regions had higher employment rates in 2008 than in 1999.