Business, Building & Other Support Services

A lot of businesses don't do all of the day-to-day work that's required to keep their organization operating smoothly. Instead, they hire companies that provide specialized services. Many of the organizations that provide these types of services are in this industry group. Some of the services produced by establishments in this industry are used by both business and personal clients.

What's included in business, building & other support services?

The day-to-day operation and management of businesses and buildings involves a number of different types of services provided by establishments in this industry.

Half of the jobs in this industry are related to building management and security

Building services, the largest employer in this industry, includes janitorial, window cleaning, landscaping, carpet and chimney cleaning and other services related to maintaining buildings in good order. Some of these services may be used by private households as well as businesses.

The security industry includes establishments that provide security (including remote monitoring using electronic security systems), armored car, locksmithing and investigation services to business clients as well as households.

Business services support the day-to-day operations of other businesses, and include office administration, facilities support, document preparation, call centres, copy shops and other business service centres, collection agencies and credit bureaus.

Traveling services are primarily travel agencies, tour operators, and other establishments providing travel arrangement and reservation services to individuals as well as other businesses.

Establishments that manage companies and enterprises, or hold the securities or financial assets of these organizations in order to own a controlling interest in them or influence their management decisions are also included in this industry. This includes holding companies and head offices.

Employment services include employment placement agencies and temporary help services.

Convention and trade show organizers, and other support services such as auctioneering and reading meters are also included in this industry.

Waste management & remediation services includes wages collection, treatment and disposable, remediation and cleanup of building, mine sites, soil or ground water and recycling services.

What's happened in business, building & other support services since 1990?

This industry has seen steady employment growth since 1990, with its share of total employment rising from just over 2% at the beginning of the period to more than 4% in 2005.

The number of jobs in this industry has increased rapidly since 1990

Many of the industries within this group have seen strong job growth since 1990. The most significant increase was in business services, where the number of people employed increased by a factor of five between 1990 and 2005.

Employment in management companies and security services tripled, and there were two-and-a-half times as many people working in the traveling services industry.

Waste management and remediation and building services also saw the workforce more than double, and while growth in the employment services industry was slower (+36%), it was about the same as the average for all industries in the province (+37%).

However, GDP growth has just kept pace with the rest of the economy, and the industry's share has remained stable at about 2% throughout this period.

What are the most common occupations?

The types of services offered by establishments in this industry are often labour-intensive, and many are specific to service industries.

Forty-four percent of the people who work in this industry are in sales and service occupations. Janitors and cleaners are the biggest group within this occupational category, but it also includes a large number of people who work as security guards, travel counsellors, tour guides and ticket agents.

Twenty-four percent of workers in this industry have jobs in business, finance and administration occupations. These include clerical workers, administrative officers and bookkeepers.

Occupations that are unique to primary industries are mainly landscaping contractors and labourers. They comprise about 9% of the workforce in this industry.

Trades, transportation and equipment operators, who hold 7% of the jobs, include workers in occupations such as materials handlers, public works maintenance equipment operators and truck and heavy equipment operators. Five percent of the workers are in managerial occupations.

Two out of three workers are employed in sales & service or business, finance & administrative occupations

How many people work in business, building & other support services, and how much do they earn?

This industry employed 90,300 people in 2005, making it the smallest employer within the service sector. However, manufacturing and construction were the only industries in the goods sector that had more employees.

A significant number of the jobs are in building services, which employs 36,500 (40%) of the workers in this industry. Another 14,600 work in the security service industry, and 12,700 are employed in business services. Traveling services (10,100), management (7,300), employment services (4,900) and waste management and remediation (4,100) are smaller employers.

Workers in this industry earned an average hourly wage of $15.14 in 2005.  Wages were lowest (about $13 an hour) in building and security services. Workers in business services ($15), traveling services ($17), management ($18) and employment ($18) services and waste management and remediation ($19) earned higher wages.

What are the characteristics of the workforce?

Three out of four (77%) workers in this industry are employed full-time, only marginally less than the average (80%) for all workers in the province. Eighteen percent are covered by collective agreements, well below the 33% average for workers in all industries.

Thirty percent of the workers in this industry are self-employed. Almost all of them work in the building service industry, where more than half (55%) of the workers are self-employed.

People who work in this industry are more likely to be employed in very small, or very large, establishments than other workers in the province

Workers in this industry are more likely to be employed in very small or very large establishments than those in other industries. Fifty-one percent of the people who work in this industry have jobs in establishments with fewer than 20 workers, considerably more than the 38% average for all industries in the province. At the other end of the scale, 8% work in establishments with at least 500 employees, compared to 7% of workers in all industries.

Where are the jobs located?

More than two-thirds of the jobs are in Mainland/Southwest

Sixty-eight percent of the jobs in this industry are located in Mainland/Southwest. This reflects the concentration of head offices in the Vancouver area (head offices are included in management of companies and enterprises), as well as the fact that many of the businesses that use building, security and other services are located in the Lower Mainland. In other regions of the province, except Thompson-Okanagan and the north, the industry's share of employment is very similar to the region's share of the total population.

What's the outlook to 2014?

Job growth is expected to lag behind the average for all industries in the province, but GDP is forecast to increase a little faster than in other industries over the next few years.

Job growth in the industry is expected to slow down a little over the next few years