Government

Public sector agencies (i.e. municipal, provincial, and federal governments, as well as Crown corporations) account for 12 of the top 20 employers in Greater Victoria and 41,813 jobs. This includes employees in all government offices and departments, as well as the approximately 17,000 employees of the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt provides significant support to the local economy and employs 4,200 military and 2,000 civilian workers.

The number of government jobs in Greater Victoria remained virtually unchanged from 2001 to 2006 and has increased since then. The growth trend has stretched over several years as employment is up, far outpacing the growth rate for the province and Metro Vancouver.

The federal government spent $51.2 million on wages and salaries in Greater Victoria in 2008, an increase of more than $4 million from 2007. The amount paid to local residents increased by 23 per cent from 2003 to 2008. In amounts paid per capita by the federal government, Greater Victoria ranks third highest in Canada among the country's top 20 metro areas.

Having a large government workforce brings an important stability to Greater Victoria that affects every aspect of its economy.

See more information in our latest newsletter.