Employment Share by Occupation
At the time of the 2001 Census, about 75 percent of adults in Carmacks, those aged 15 and over, reported that they were involved in the labour market. This is lower than the overall Yukon proportion of 80 percent. Reported unemployment, at almost 24 percent, was significantly higher than the 2001 Yukon average of 12 percent measured at the time of the Census. Both measures (involvement in the labour market and unemployment) reflect the small number of jobs, especially long-term jobs, in the community. The work situation is particularly weak for men living in Carmacks. They reported an unemployment rate of almost 35 percent, compared to the overall Yukon male unemployment rate of 14.5 percent at the time of the Census.
In 2001, more young people reported being active in the Carmacks labour market than in 1996. In 2001, about 70 percent of the 15-to-24 age group in Carmacks reported that they were in the labour market, compared to 68 percent across the Yukon.
On average in 2001, 44 individuals in Carmacks made claims for employment insurance payments. The number of people claiming employment insurance averaged above 30 for much of the 1990s, rising at the end of the decade.
Relatively little work in Carmacks is full-time and full year, reflecting the lack of long-term jobs and the seasonal nature of tourism, primary industry employment and mining exploration. The 2001 Census reported that people working full-time, full year in Carmacks accounted for only 29 percent of all workers, far lower than the 46 percent seen for the Yukon as a whole.
Self-employment, at 5 percent of all employment in Carmacks, is quite a bit lower than the Yukon average of 13 percent.
In 2001 the median income of all those in Carmacks over 15 years of age was about $17,500, lower than the Yukon median income of $26,500. Earnings also provided a smaller share of this income than it did on average in the Yukon.
Work in Carmacks leans towards occupations involved in government services and tourism. At the time of the 2001 Census, about 23 percent of total employment in the community was in sales and service occupations, including food preparation and service fields. This is about the same as in the Yukon as a whole. Management occupations in Carmacks (9 percent of total employment) and administration occupations (14 percent) reflect the importance of government work.
Government services work also employs people in occupations such as teaching, social work, or community work. The social sciences occupational field accounts for 14 percent of employment in Carmacks, compared to 12 percent Yukon-wide.
Mining, forestry, and trapping occupations have a 7-percent share of employment in Carmacks compared to an average of 3 percent for the Yukon. Construction and other trades, such as auto repair, along with transportation occupations, provide 23 percent of local employment. This is higher than the 16 percent found, on average, in the Yukon.
