The Vancouver Metro Area is one of Canada’s biggest urban draws. Vancouver is a beautiful West Coast city located along several bays and straits that lead out into the Pacific Ocean. Vancouver is well known for the gorgeous scenery within the city, with great proximity to mountains, ocean, and the redwood forests the region is known for. It is a city that has consistently grown every year, with a unique local culture and a powerful economy. That powerful economy is a big part of the city’s growth, and one sector is a huge reason why: the tech industry.
Like many West Coast cities, from San Francisco to Seattle, the Vancouver environment is perfect for the tech industry. It was recently ranked the 12th best market in North America for tech companies by CBRE, which was the 2nd highest placement of a Canadian city. While many of the other cities on the list are more entrenched tech hubs, Vancouver’s industry has only recently started its stratospheric growth.
During 2019 and 2020, Vancouver added 12,900 tech jobs in the city, even in the middle of a major global pandemic. According to the Daily Hive, this was the third most in North America, behind only Toronto and Seattle. This growth rate was lower than their previous two-year growth rate, and it was still one of the highest in the continent.
Vancouver’s tech industry is vital to the city’s economy, and the continued growth of this sector will help the city continue to thrive. The same report by the Daily Hive showed that there are over 74,500 people employed in the tech industry in Vancouver, a massive and rising number. This industry is a massive employer in the city and a key part of a growing economy that is one of the more potent in Canada.
Several different tech companies base a significant amount of operations in Vancouver, and many more are looking to expand into the city. One tech giant set to have a significant presence in the city is Amazon. Amazon is headquartered in nearby Seattle but has offshoot offices around the continent. Their Vancouver office will be called The Post, and it is a massive development that is set to be the single largest office building downtown. The office will employ over 6,000 people in Vancouver upon its completion in 2023.
Numerous other major tech companies have large operations in Vancouver. Salesforce, the Canadian CRM platform that started in Canada, has Vancouver offices and is known as a great place to work. Hootsuite, the social media management platform, is another rising tech company that is at least partially based in Vancouver. Microsoft recently expanded their Vancouver offices with a 75,000-square foot office space addition, and they offer a huge variety of jobs to skilled Vancouver workers. Electronic Arts, or EA, is a large Vancouver employer and one of the top gaming companies in the world.
The tech industry’s growth has had a significant impact on the city of Vancouver itself. Like many other cities where the tech industry is a giant employer and a vital part of the economy, many new residents have headed to Vancouver for the economic opportunity the city provides. This means there is more money in the city, major employers, and young and skilled workers that want to call Vancouver home. While this is all a very good thing, it has likely played a role in driving up the city’s real estate cost.
Vancouver is one of Canada’s biggest cities, a beautiful urban gem on the West Coast. Its status as a significant tech hub contributes to Vancouver being one of the most desirable places to live in the country. With a powerful economy combined with top-notch natural scenery, few cities can match the lifestyle Vancouver provides.
