8 INVEST in BC 2 0 2 4
BLUEPRINT
FOR A
BRIGHTER
TOMORROW
B.C.'s economic indicators continue
to hold up surprisingly well, and the
government aims to keep it that way
BY JOANNE PETERS
ACCELERATING GROWTH:
Alpine enthusiasts gather at
Revelstoke Mountain Village
(right); B.C. has adopted
its own Critical Minerals
Strategy to take advantage
of the global energy
transition (below)
B . C . O U T L O O K
IN
the midst of a soft patch in
the economic cycle, British
Columbia continues to
boast one of the lowest
unemployment rates in
the country and strong job
growth. The province is
expected to have a million job openings
over the next decade, more than a third of
them newly created positions. As of May
2024, B.C. showed a year-over-year hiring
growth of 2.8 percent, above the national
rate of 2.0 percent. Employment growth
is coming in at 1.8 per cent on average,
lifted in part by increased capacity from
population growth.
With new heavy oil and liquefied natural
gas export infrastructure and a major
hydroelectric dam nearing completion, as
well as new green hydrogen production and
biodiesel refineries in the works, and carbon-
capture companies reaching $1 billion
valuations, B.C. is increasingly viewed as an
energy and clean-tech powerhouse.
According to BC Check-Up: Invest,
an annual report by the Chartered
Professional Accountants of British
Official Publication of the BC Economic Development Association in special partnership with BCBusiness.
