Fresh, educated, and entrepreneurial

Welcome to the knowledge-based community. Our post-secondary-educated population has nearly doubled since 2006. Wages are competitive with our neighbours to the north and south.

We excel in architecture, engineering, and business management, as well as public administration and health, and construction. What does all this point to? A talented pool of resources, right in our backyard. Tap into the power of the Squamish workforce.

Higher education is a priority

Nearly a third (68.5%) of Squamish's adults 25-64 years of age have a post-secondary diploma or degree compared to 63.9% for all of BC.  We’re also seeing a rapid shift towards a more educated workforce, with 5% growth between 2011 and 2016 in those with a post-secondary diploma or degree. 

An opportunity to attract local talent

Approximately 19% of residents commute outside of Squamish for work across all industries and sectors. This means there’s a great opportunity for businesses to attract locals, with the financial and social benefits of working close to home being wide-ranging. Retaining just 10% of the commuting workforce from a few of our key sectors would lead to an additional 235 residents available for local employment.

An active labour market with competitive wages

With the expanding population and new businesses coming on line regularly, Squamish's labour market is active. Between January 2021 and January 2022, there were more than 4,200 unique job postings advertised online, with a median posting duration of 16 days. 

Wages in Squamish are competitive, with the median hourly wage for nearly every occupation similar to our neighbours. Keep in mind that residents commute outside of Squamish for work, and work remotely – so taking the time to review your compensation package to make it even more competitive could be the key to attracting and retaining top talent.