Vancouver’s Tech Talent and Market Get Rave Reviews
Amazon’s announcement that it will hire 3,000 employees plus several recent industry reports show that Vancouver’s IT market is thriving.
“Vancouver’s tech industry is strong, “says Rachel Shen, SIGnature Recruiting’s Managing Director – Client Manager. “Without a doubt, the pandemic upended the economy, but the recent announcements and findings should give the region’s IT professionals and employers optimism and confidence as we enter 2021. That’s great news for Vancouver.”
Top of Tech Talent Market
Vancouver ranks #3 in overall top tech talent market, behind Toronto and Ottawa. Vancouver’s quality of labour, the size of its tech labour pool and the number of tech and tech-related degrees stand out. Vancouver’s quality of labour earns a silver medal when compared to the other cities.
Between 2014 and 2019, Vancouver had the second-fastest growth of tech jobs by volume with the addition of 27,500 jobs. Tech occupations grew by 47.9%, with the average wage growth at 13.8% in the same period.
Almost 85,000 tech workers are employed in Vancouver and tech occupations make up 7% of total employment.
From Scoring Canadian Tech Talent 2020 (November 2020):CBRE analyzed labour market conditions, costs and quality for high-skilled tech workers in 20 Canadian cities. Cities were ranked according to their competitive advantages and appeal to tech-talent workers and tech employers.
#1 in Tech Job Growth
Vancouver sits in the #1 position for its job growth rate of 29% in the past year, above San Francisco, Austin and Seattle. Vancouver leads the two other Canadian cities on the list: #6 Toronto and #29 Montreal.
Vancouver is one of the most resilient tech markets primed for future growth, according to CBRE’s research. Vancouver joins. Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Raleigh-Durham and San Diego.
From The 2020 Tech-30 Report (October 2020): CBRE also looked at the high-tech industry in the top 30 tech markets in the US and Canada, evaluating cities on their IT employment rates and office space.
BC Tech Revenue Surpasses Other Provinces
Tech revenue is growing faster in BC than comparable provinces and Canada as a whole, and the tech sector continues to grow faster than any other industry in BC.
Across the province, the tech sector comprises 11,000 companies that create more than 123,000 jobs and generates almost $18 billion in GDP for British Columbia.
The average weekly earnings for a tech employee in BC is $1740.
from 2020 British Columbia Technology Report Card (November 2020): The BC Tech Report Card, presented by KPMG in Canada and the BC Tech Association (BC Tech), compares the performance of British Columbia’s tech sectors to other provincial industries, Canadian counterparts, and international jurisdictions.
Since 2010, SIGnature Recruiting has operated with respect towards all of our candidates and clients, making us the preferred IT recruitment agency in the Greater Vancouver area. If you are seeking talent or an employer, let’s talk.
Written by:
Geoff Chen, Account Manager