Nanaimo’s strategic location offers regional and global connectivity through an airport, four ferry terminals, two floatplane terminals, a cruise ship terminal, and an efficient highway system. Additionally, Nanaimo features short- and deep-sea shipping facilities, and storage and warehousing spaces available through the Port of Nanaimo.

The Transportation and Warehousing Sector provided 2,321 jobs representing 4.7% of Nanaimo’s labour force (2022 Esri). In 2023, there were 175 firms in the Transportation and Warehousing sector in Nanaimo. The Nanaimo Port Authority, Nanaimo Airport, and the City of Nanaimo are working together to establish Nanaimo as the transportation and warehousing hub for all of Vancouver Island.

Nanaimo is the central Island’s regional health service centre with ever-expanding hospital and private healthcare facilities and services. The Healthcare and Social Services sector is the largest employment sector in Nanaimo providing 7,460 jobs (Esri 2022) for area residents. Over 600 private businesses are licensed in this sector. The Nanaimo Regional General Hospital serves the tertiary needs of 450,000 people – everyone living outside the Greater Victoria area.

The construction sector is an important contributor to Nanaimo’s economy. It is the third largest employment sector, providing 4,245 jobs for 8.6% of Nanaimo’s labour force (2022 Esri). The largest number of business licenses in the City are held by construction related firms.

The construction industry benefits from continued population growth in the Nanaimo area. In 2022, the construction value of building permits was $410.3 million. Residential building permits accounted for 73.3% of the total building permit values. Total building permit values increased by 51% in 2022 compared to 2021.

Development activity in Nanaimo is guided by the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP) adopted in July 2022.

The construction sector accounts for 18% of licensed businesses operating in the City of Nanaimo. There were 1,145 licenses issued to construction firms in 2023. The majority of licensed construction businesses are relatively small, having fewer than 20 employees. In addition to these businesses, there are 23 licensed real estate and related businesses in Nanaimo.

Nanaimo is the regional retail and service centre for central and northern Vancouver Island. The retail sector is the second largest employment sector in Nanaimo, providing jobs for 7,380 local residents which accounts for approximately 14.9% of the total labour market (2022 Esri). Currently, 869 establishments in Nanaimo hold a wholesale or retail business license, representing 13% of total business licenses in the City of Nanaimo.

There are several factors which influence Nanaimo’s role as a regional retail and service centre. The city is the largest urban area north of Victoria, with a growing population base. All major Island transportation corridors lead to Nanaimo and the City is a gateway between the Island and the mainland.

The sector has benefited from an expanding market and positive economic conditions. The market meets the needs of 260,000 people who live within a one-hour drive of Nanaimo.

The tourism industry encompasses accommodation and food services, transportation, adventure tourism and recreation, attractions, events and conferences, the travel trade and retail. Tourists are drawn to Nanaimo’s natural beauty and enjoy a variety of recreational activities, cultural amenities, and a range of accommodation choices.

There are 597 businesses in the accommodation and food service sectors, accounting for 9.2% of all business licenses in Nanaimo. The Accommodation and food service sector is the fourth largest employment sector in Nanaimo, accounting for 8.5% of the total labour market, providing 4,235 jobs (2022 Esri).

For more information visit our Business Resources page or the Tourism of Nanaimo’s website.

The City of Nanaimo is most interested in growing the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) component of this sector, which consisted of 111 businesses in the ICT sector 2023.

The ICT sector contains businesses related to infrastructure, components, and services to enable modern computing. This includes development, manufacturing, distribution, service, and sale of applications, components, devices, and systems that allow people and organizations to interact in the digital world. Some ICT businesses in Nanaimo are active in robotics, cloud computing, software development, financial transactions, network technologies, data processing, and more.”

Education is the fifth largest sector in Nanaimo, providing 3,468 jobs and representing 7% of Nanaimo’s labour force (2022 Esri). In the Education and Training sector, 76 private firms are active. The Public sector is not required to obtain a business license, therefore those institutions are not reflected in the business count. This is significant because School District 68 and Vancouver Island University are two of our largest employers.