Employment Share by Occupation
At the time of the 2001 Census, about 81 percent of Whitehorse people aged 15 years and over reported that they were involved in the labour market. This is slightly above the overall Yukon proportion of 80 percent. Unemployment was lower than elsewhere in the Yukon. At the time of the 2001 Census, unemployment in Whitehorse was estimated to be about 10 percent, compared to the Yukon-wide average of 12 percent. Unemployment was higher for men than for women: 12 percent, compared to about 8 percent.
Young people aged 15 to 24 are only slightly more likely to be active in the labour market in Whitehorse than in many other parts of the Yukon. About 69 percent of the age group in the Whitehorse area reported that they were in the labour market in 2001. Unemployment for young people in Whitehorse is about 20 percent, higher than for all other age groups.
On average in 2003, 1,097 individuals in Whitehorse claimed employment insurance payments. This number is just over 60 percent of all claims in the Yukon, reflecting an employment situation that is slightly better than the Yukon average.
Whitehorse has far more full-time, full year work than elsewhere in the Yukon. The 2001 Census reported that almost 50 percent of workers living in Whitehorse said their work was full-time, full year. This compares with a Yukon average of 46 percent. Once the influence of Whitehorse is accounted for, only 36 percent of those living in the rest of the Yukon reported having full-time, full year work.
Self-employment in Whitehorse, at 13 percent of all employment, is close to the share elsewhere in the Yukon.
Average employment income for all workers living in Whitehorse was reported by the 2001 Census at $33,830, higher than the Yukon average of $31,500. For those working full-time, full year, average earnings in Whitehorse in 2001 came in at $46,100, approximately 3 percent above the equivalent Yukon average, which was reported at about $44,600 in 2001.
People living in Whitehorse work in many different occupations, reflecting the modern and diversified nature of the Whitehorse economy.
Sales and service occupations employ the largest share of the Whitehorse workforce. At the time of the 2001 Census, about 23 percent of employment in the community was in sales and service occupations, such as retail sales, cashiers, cooks, food service jobs and cleaners. This proportion is slightly below the rest of the Yukon.
Business and administrative occupations make up the community's second-largest employment field. About 20 percent of all employment in 2001 derived from this group, which includes occupations such as accountants, bookkeepers, and clerical workers. The high share of these occupations in the Whitehorse labour market reflects the city's position as the territorial centre for government and business activity.
Management occupations in Whitehorse provide almost 14 percent of total employment. A further 12 percent comes from the government, education, and social services field, which includes occupations such as teachers, social workers, lawyers, and policy and community service workers. The proportion is high because so much of the Territory's government, education and business activity occurs in Whitehorse.
Whitehorse is also the Yukon's major health centre, with a hospital and a full range of health practitioners. Health occupations make up almost 5 percent of employment. Science and technology occupations account for almost 7 percent of employment in Whitehorse, a higher proportion than elsewhere in the Yukon. These occupations include engineers, technicians, surveyors, and computer programmers.
Occupations in art, culture and recreation provide almost 4 percent of employment in Whitehorse, much the same share as elsewhere in the Yukon.
Occupations in the trades, transport, equipment operating, mining, forestry and other primary sectors make up a far smaller share of Whitehorse jobs.
