Employment Share by Occupation
The 2001 Census showed a similar proportion of people in Haines Junction as the Yukon average in the labour market, either employed or looking for work. The proportion of unemployed people looking for work (at 9 percent for the community of Haines Junction) was lower than the Yukon average. Although Haines Junction is a community with diverse opportunities that encourage participation in the formal labour market it can still be challenging to find ongoing work.
The difficulty in finding work is particularly acute for young people aged 15 to 24. The unemployment rate for this age group in Haines Junction was at least 20 percent, close to the Yukon's average youth unemployment rate.
The pattern of unemployment for community residents is borne out by employment insurance numbers. In 2003, an average of 71 individuals claimed employment insurance payments. The annual numbers of people claiming income from employment insurance ranged from 50 to just over 70 throughout the past ten years.
In the Haines Junction area, work is less likely to be full-time, full year than the Yukon average. The 2001 Census reported that 36 percent of all workers were working full-time, full year, compared with 46 percent for the Yukon as a whole.
In 2001, about 14 percent of those working in the Village of Haines Junction reported that they were mainly self-employed. This is slightly above the Yukon average of 13 percent.
The average employment income for all workers in Haines Junction was reported by the 2001 Census as $25,800. This is a little more than 80 percent of the average for the Yukon as a whole. Those persons who worked full-time and for the full year earned almost $42,500 (employment earnings for full-time, full year workers overall in the Yukon were $44,600).
The mix of occupational groups in Haines Junction is very close to that in the Yukon. The largest occupational field is sales and service, reflecting the importance of tourism in the local economy. In addition, Kluane National Park and Reserve provides opportunities for science occupations. Other work, which emphasizes management and administration, is usually related to government activities, including First Nations, other governments and park administration.
