Health Care and Social Assistance
Industry Overview
The Health Care and Social Assistance industry includes services that provide health care, residential care for medical or social reasons, and social assistance.
Health care establishments provide care for individuals who seek services for prevention, diagnosis or treatment from health care professionals, including doctors, lab technicians, dentists, optometrists and chiropractors.
Social assistance includes services such as child protection, home care, welfare, counselling, social housing and food services, and child care.
It is difficult to separate the social assistance occupations from health care occupations because many of the services provided by each are interconnected.
Key Facts
- Health Care and Social Assistance is one of B.C.’s largest employers.
- This industry has a low unemployment rate and tends to be immune from economic fluctuations.
- Most employment in this industry occurs in the Mainland / Southwest, Vancouver Island / Coast and Thompson-Okanagan regions.
- The workforce is predominantly female, and wages for women in this industry are notably higher than in other industries.
Hourly Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Below are the average hourly earnings for this industry.
B.C. Average Hourly Earnings (2023)
| Men | $38.00/hr |
| Women | $32.00/hr |
| Youth | $21.00/hr |
Industry Average Hourly Earnings (2023)
| Men | $37.23/hr |
| Women | $33.49/hr |
| Youth | $23.53/hr |
Workforce
The workforce includes people who are employed or unemployed but actively looking for work. The workforce is made up of people who are 15 years of age and older and living in Canada.
Employment by Sex (2023)
BC Average (2023)
Employment by Age Group
| Age Group | Industry Average (2023) | B.C. Average (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 - 24 years | 7.4% | 13.3% |
| 25 - 54 years | 68.3% | 64.8% |
| 55+ years | 24.3% | 21.9% |
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Latest Employment Trends
Mar 2025 vs. Feb 2025
Employment
% Change
Employment by Region
| Region | % Employment this Industry (2023) | % Employment All Industries (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| Kootenay | 3.5% | 2.9% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 59.8% | 64.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Northeast | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 11.1% | 10.9% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 19.5% | 15.8% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Average Annual Employment Growth Rate
Forecasted 10-Year Industry Share of Total Employment
Top Occupations by Job Openings
Top occupations are those with stronger demand and offer higher pay compared to other occupations.
Resources
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B.C. Ministry of Healthhttp://www.gov.bc.ca/health/
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B.C. Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reductionhttp://www.gov.bc.ca/hsd/
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The Federation of Community Social Services of BChttps://fcssbc.ca
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Human Resources and Skills Development Canadahttp://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml
