Young workers hit the road

Photo: Campaign Creators, Unsplash

Young people fled the Thompson-Okanagan workforce in droves last year.

That was one of the findings when the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia released its annual Regional Check-up employment report on Wednesday.

The region lost 7,700 workers last year – and a whopping 42 per cent of those were between the ages of 19 and 24.

“Given the recruitment challenges we are experiencing, it is concerning to see the departure of 3,200 young workers,” Kelowna MNP LLP partner Karen Christiansen said in a press release.

“Our region’s economy is service-oriented, and many of the lower-level jobs are filled by young workers. As demand continues to grow from service industries, we will need to seek innovative ways to source and recruit talent.”

For more on this story, visit Okanagan Edge.