Job prospects Irrigation Worker - Agriculture in British Columbia

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "irrigation worker - agriculture" in British Columbia or across Canada.

Job opportunities in British Columbia

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be limited for Harvesting labourers (NOC 85101) in British Columbia for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
• Several positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

The agricultural sector in B.C. is focused on horticulture, and as a result most employment is seasonal. Temporary foreign workers are an important resource for farmers and ranchers who face challenges with the domestic labour shortage.

Climate change events can disrupt production cycles and impact employment opportunities.

Here are some key facts about Harvesting labourers in British Columbia:

• Approximately 3,200 people work in this occupation.
• Harvesting labourers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Agriculture (NAICS 111, 112, 1151, 1152): 90%
  • Management and administrative services (NAICS 55, 56): 10%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 82% compared to 78% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 18% compared to 22% for all occupations
• 31% of harvesting labourers work all year, while 69% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 31 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of harvesting labourers are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 40% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 60% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 49% compared to 8% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 35% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 13% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in British Columbia by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "irrigation worker - agriculture" in British Columbia or across Canada.

Learn more