Why It's Important The number of scientists and engineers relative to total employment is a key "proxy" for the creation of high skill jobs and the attraction and retention of people who possess the knowledge and skill sets essential to the process of innovation and the creation of high paid employment.

Regional Indicator Nine measures the percent of a jurisdiction's total employment that is comprised of scientists and engineers.

The proportion of the workforce active in the natural and applied sciences has increased in the CMAs and Regional BC between 1998 and 2007.

The proportion in Regional BC increased by 11.3 percent from 4.8 in 1998 to 5.4 percent in 2007. The increase in the Vancouver CMA was 8.2 percent from 6.5 in 1998 to 7.1 percent in 2007. The proportion in the Abbotsford CMA increased by 22.3 percent from 3.0 in 1998 to 3.7 percent in 2007 and the Victoria CMA's increased 6.3 percent from 7.0 in 1998 to 7.4 percent in 2007.

The Victoria CMA had the highest proportion of its workforce employed in natural and applied sciences in most of the years reviewed.

On average, the proportion in the Victoria CMA was 6.2 percent higher than the proportion in the Vancouver CMA, 51 percent higher than that in Regional BC and more than double that in the Abbotsford CMA.