Metro Vancouver municipalities topped the list in B.C. Business’ latest rankings of the best cities in British Columbia for employment.
North Vancouver, Coquitlam and Burnaby were among the top five, with Fort St. John and Dawson Creek coming in at first and fifth, respectively. Surrey ranked at ninth place while Vancouver trailed at tenth.
It will likely come as no surprise to most that Metro Vancouver municipalities, home to more than half of the provincial population, will always top the list. B.C. Business referred to urban theorist Richard Florida’s concept of the “creative class” choosing to live in big cities. These urban centres become “areas of innovation” where talent is abundant.
As for why Fort St. John and Dawson Creek is ranked at the top, the magazine credits the booming oil and gas industry in the northeast sector of B.C. which has caused incomes to grow at a rapid rate – by more than 18 per cent in just the last five years.
With the Metro Vancouver region, incomes have increased by about 13 per cent over the same time period. However, income increases were noticeably higher within the Squamish-Whistler corridor – a jump of about 15 per cent.
Best cities for work in British Columbia
- Fort St. John
- North Vancouver
- Coquitlam
- Burnaby
- Dawson Creek
- New Westminster
- Langley
- Richmond
- Surrey
- Vancouver
- Pitt Meadows
- Squamish
- Port Coquitlam
- Delta
- Maple Ridge
- Victoria
- Kelowna
- Abbotsford-Mission
- Chilliwack
- Cranbrook
- Nanaimo
- Kamloops
- Courtenay
- Salmon Arm
- Campbell River
- Parksville
- Prince George
- Duncan
- Penticton
- Vernon
- Port Alberni
- Quesnel
- Powell River
- Terrace
- Williams Lake
- Prince Rupert
Feature Image: BC Legislature via Shutterstock
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