Road to Recovery: Massive changes in labour market as B.C. economy rebounds

CHEK

In this week’s segment of Road to Recovery with Douglas Magazine, CHEK’s Jasmine Bala chats with Michael Lane, community engagement manager at WorkBC.

WorkBC is an employment services program created by the provincial government to help British Columbians navigate the labour market. It helps workers explore career options, improve skills and find jobs, while at the same time assisting employers grow their businesses and fill jobs with the right talent.

According to its website, WorkBC also offers “the most comprehensive database of B.C. job postings,” career tools, information on where to find employment services centres across the province, and a blog with tips and trends.

Pandemic restrictions led to massive layoffs and shuttered businesses. Victoria’s unemployment rate was about 11 per cent in July 2020, according to WorkBC’s monthly labour market snapshot. In July 2019, the unemployment rate was 3.8 per cent.

In 2021, the economy is bouncing back, with many sectors hiring. But now it seems like there are more jobs than workers, with many having moved on to other fields or hesitant to go back their original jobs.

Lane discusses in this episode why that might be the case, the current labour market trends, and advice for workers looking for a career change, as well as employers hoping to hire and retain staff.

Road to Recovery is done in partnership with Douglas Magazine.

READ MORE: Road to Recovery: Reopening the U.S.-Canada marine border for recreational travel

Jasmine Bala

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