HIGHLIGHTS
Small Business – There were approximately 385,100 small businesses operating in British Columbia in 2011, accounting for 98 per cent of all businesses in the
province. About 82 per cent of these small businesses were micro-businesses with fewer than five employees.
Small Businesses Per Capita – In 2011, British Columbia ranked first in terms of small businesses per capita, with 84.2 small businesses per 1,000 people.
Saskatchewan had just slightly fewer small businesses per 1,000 people, at 81.9, but third-ranked Alberta was well behind with 75.0 businesses per 1,000 people. The national average was 69.3.
Employment – Approximately 1,027,900 people were employed by small business in British Columbia in 2011. These jobs accounted for about 56 per cent of private sector employment in the province, the second highest rate in the country.
Employment Growth – The small business sector in British Columbia felt the effects of continued global economic uncertainty. Small business employment in the province fell 1.0 per cent between 2010 and 2011. However, small businesses have fared relatively well in the last five years, increasing employment by 2.6 per cent since 2006.
Self-Employed – On average, the self-employed tend to be older, are more often men and are more likely to work longer hours than paid employees. More than 37 per cent of the self-employed in British Columbia are women, well above the national average.
Gross Domestic Product – British Columbia small businesses generated approximately 29 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product in 2011, well above the national average of 27 per cent.
Earnings – In 2011, small business provided 32 percent of all wages paid to workers in British Columbia, the highest share of all provinces.
Industry Focus – The mining, oil and gas extraction industry saw employment grow 24.7 per cent between 2006 and 2011, the strongest growth rate of any of the industry sectors. At the other end of the spectrum, the forestry, logging and support industry lost 17.8 per cent of its employment over the same period; however, the number of jobs in that industry has increased in each of the last two years, perhaps signalling a turnaround.
High Technology Sector – There were 8,462 small businesses in British Columbia’s high tech sector in 2011, which represents about 97 per cent of all high technology businesses.
Regional Focus – The Thompson-Okanagan region recorded the highest net growth in the number of small businesses in British Columbia between 2007 and 2011, at 7.3 per cent.
Exports – British Columbia small businesses shipped approximately $16.9 billion worth of merchandise to international destinations in 2010, comprising almost 55 per cent of the total value of goods exported from the Province.
Source: Statistics Canada / Prepared by BC Stats
