Finding And Keeping Workers Archives

Military pay raise a boost for region’s economy

August 13, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria’s economic ties to Canada’s military go back more than a century. Today, our business community has a symbiotic relationship with CFB Esquimalt, home to more than 4,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

“We know the base benefits our community in many ways, from purchasing goods and supplies from local businesses to providing thousands of jobs to local families,” Chamber CEO John Wilson said. “We support efforts to invest in our military and the recent news that CAF members will be better compensated will help a major local employer find and keep workers — an issue for a lot of organizations in our region.”

The funding will provide as much as a 20% pay raise for some sailors, and offer up to a $20,000 bonus for recruits who complete training. Canada’s military has been facing staffing challenges, and the last significant overhaul of CAF pay was in 1998.

Market for office space remains healthy across region

August 13, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers/by Jim Zeeben

There has been an increase in vacant offices in Greater Victoria, largely driven by new spaces being reintroduced, according to the latest report from CBRE.

The report, Tenant preferences remain resilient against macroeconomic headwinds, noted that Downtown Victoria had zero vacancy for Class AA space for the fourth consecutive quarter.

“In the Downtown core, there is sustained interest from small tenants seeking spaces under 2,000 sq. ft., alongside notable activity from larger groups pursuing spaces exceeding 5,000 sq. ft.,” the report said. “Across all size categories, tenant preferences reflect a continued flight-to-quality, with many organizations prioritizing high-quality, long-term premises to support employee return-to-office strategies.”

The report noted that downtown social disorder is also a factor in where tenants are choosing to locate.

The West Shore is a popular choice for many, which is creating pressure on that area’s available supply. The report also said the market in Saanich is stable with demand coming from professional and personal service providers catering to the large suburban population.

Region’s unemployment up, but still lowest in Canada

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria employers continue to face pressure from a tight labour market.

Our region’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9% in June, up from 3.7% in May.

Greater Victoria’s employment rate was 65.2% in June. Those numbers compare to national rates of 6.9% unemployment and 60.9% employment.

Our region consistently has among the lowest unemployment rates in the country, and The Chamber has called on the federal government to grant our region an exemption on the restrictions imposed last year to the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

Finding and Keeping workers has been cited as a top advocacy priority by Chamber members for almost a decade. And while the latest numbers show access to labour continues to be an issue, the national numbers do offer optimism for businesses facing the uncertainty of an ongoing tradewar with the US.

“Canada’s labour market remains strong and resilient despite tariffs and counter-tariff measures. The market shows signs of marginal improvement across many parameters, a result of trade-partner diversification,” Canadian Chamber economist Anupriya Gangopadhyay said. “Employment rose to its new peak for the year, especially in the manufacturing sector after consecutive declines. At present it is hard to gauge exactly when or if at all the impact of tariffs will break this momentum. But this outcome may nudge the Bank of Canada to deliver fewer than the two rate cuts in the remaining half of the year, as expected earlier.”

Armed Forces funding good news for Greater Victoria

June 18, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Global Uncertainty, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

Last week, the Canadian Chamber took part in the federal government’s announcement that Canada is investing in rebuilding our Armed Forces. The move is expected to help the economy, especially in communities such as Greater Victoria that are home to significant Armed Forces infrastructure.

“Canada has a long and proud history of remarkable military and peacekeeping achievements around the world. From NORAD to Operation UNIFIER in Ukraine, to defeating forest fires here at home, Canada’s military personnel have stepped up and defended Canada and Canadian interests in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions,” Canadian Chamber CEO Candace Laing said. “The inclusion of cyber security and year-round Canadian presence in the Arctic as key features reflects the global reality we live in.”

While there was no specific mention of bases such as CFB Esquimalt, the government did promise to improve pay for Armed Forces personnel. More than 4,000 currently are based out of CFB Esquimalt.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will achieve NATO’s 2% this year — half a decade ahead of schedule – promising more than $9 billion invested in 2025-26.

“In addition to making Canadians and Canada safer amidst rising geopolitical uncertainty, these investments signify that we are serious about securing and protecting our trade relationships and the global supply chains that we play a pivotal role in,” Laing said. “As global threats evolve, so must we. The Canadian business community stands ready to support achieving this vital national mission.”

Feds expand summer job subsidy for students

June 12, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Federal, Training And Microcredentials/by Jim Zeeben

The latest job numbers show that Greater Victoria, at 3.7%, continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. The average rate across the country for May was 7%. However, the rate for students ages 15 to 24 was 20.1%. It’s increased steadily each year from a low of 11.4% in May 2022.

To help, the federal government is reallocating $25 million from internal funds to subsidize an additional 6,000 summer jobs on top of the 70,000 already supported by the Canada Summer Jobs program.

“From now until July 21, young job seekers between the ages of 15 and 30 can find local job opportunities on the Job Bank website and mobile app,” a media release from Employment and Social Development Canada stated. “Youth can apply for summer jobs in fields that interest them, such as the recreation sector, the food industry and marketing and tourism. Jobs are also available in a variety of high-demand and growing fields, including housing construction and environmental protection.”

Greater Victoria real estate market ‘boring’ but stable

June 4, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers/by Jim Zeeben

Home sales in Greater Victoria picked up in May, though the total is still slightly below the same month last year.

“Ample inventory coming to market outpaced brisk sales, which provided a consistent amount of choice and eased competition on high-demand properties,” Victoria Real Estate Board Board Chair Dirk VanderWal said in a media release. “More balanced market conditions were supported by stability both in prices and in interest rates. The May market was resilient, and that steady pace is a little boring to report on but has been much more comfortable for buyers and sellers to navigate than markets we’ve seen in past years.”

The benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core was $1,326,600 in May, down from April’s value of $1,345,200. The benchmark value for a condominium in the same area was $564,100 in May, down from the April value of $566,300.

BC minimum wage increases to $17.85 next week

May 29, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

On Sunday, the province’s annual minimum wage increase will raise the lowest hourly rate from $17.40 to $17.85 per hour.

“The 2.6% increase on June 1 also applies to minimum-wage rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based delivery and ride-hail services workers,” the provincial media release stated. “This is the fourth year of the government’s ongoing commitment to tie annual minimum-wage increases to inflation.”

In February 2024, the Employment Standards Act was changed to automatically tie annual increases to the previous year’s average inflation rate.

Highway project will ease commute — eventually

May 29, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Provincial, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

Connecting communities is critical for helping business flow smoothly around the region. There are deliveries to make and appointments to keep, but good transportation is also vital to helping employers find and keep workers. This has been a consistent advocacy priority for Chamber members, who help us understand their biggest challenges by filling out our annual member survey as well as in daily interactions.

Of course, building better transportation corridors can require patience. That’s the case across the region, including Highway 1 where the bus-on-shoulder project is currently underway. New bus lanes from the McKenzie Interchange to the Colwood Interchange will make taking the bus faster and more reliable and convenient for commuters.

Drivers can expect daytime disruption during construction. The Burnside Road on-ramp and the Helmcken overpass will close overnight between 8 pm and 5:30 am. The Galloping Goose Trail also faces closures of as long as 15 minutes between 8 and 11 pm.

The Highway 1 bus-on-shoulder project is part of the South Island Transportation Strategy to create a dedicated rapid transit corridor between downtown Victoria and the Westshore. BC Transit currently operates its Blink RapidBus to connect the areas and is planning to expand the service over time.

The bus-on-shoulder project includes $67 million in provincial funding and $28 million in federal funds. The project is expected to be completed in late 2027.

Saanich opens approval process for operations centre

May 22, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Local/by Jim Zeeben

A major redevelopment project in the District of Saanich is using an Alternative Approval Process to receive authority for needed funding.

“The Alternative Approval Process is a fiscally responsible and efficient tool that will help the District ensure that the community has a voice in the future of the Saanich Operations Centre,” Saanich Chief Administrative Officer Brent Reems said in a media release.

The $172 million project will replace aging infrastructure with new facilities for municipal services as well as allocate space for new homes and commercial uses.

Voting is open for Saanich residents, who can submit a form if opposed to the borrowing request. Saanich says the redevelopment will stimulate economic growth, create jobs during construction and ensure reliable services for the next 80 years.

Victoria hosts info session on business of childcare

May 15, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Local/by Jim Zeeben

Anyone thinking about starting a childcare business or interested in the sector can learn more about current rules at an info session on May 27, hosted by the City of Victoria’s Business Hub.

The session is free and is focused on helping people start or grow a childcare program as a for-profit or non-profit venture. Topics covered include how to get licensed, types of childcare and potential resource partners. Staff and experts will be on hand to answer questions about regulations and experiences.

The Business of Childcare: Small Business Info Session runs from 9 to 11:30 am, May 27, at Victoria City Hall.